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To investigate the physicochemical characteristics and sources of brown carbon (BrC) in North China, we collected fine aerosols (PM2.5) at an urban site in Tianjin over a 1-year period. We measured the ultraviolet (UV) light absorption and excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence of the water-soluble BrC (WSBrC) and the water-insoluble but methanol-soluble BrC (WI-MSBrC) in the PM2.5 using a three-dimensional fluorescence spectrometer. Average light absorption efficiency of both WSBrC (Abs365, WSBrC) and WI-MSBrC (Abs365, WI-MSBrC) at 365 nm was found to be highest in winter and distinct from season to season. The biological index (BIX) and fluorescence index (FI) of WSBrC showed an opposite seasonal pattern to that of the humification index (HIX) with lower values in summer, implying that the secondary formation and further chemical processing of aerosols were intensive in summer than in other seasons. Whereas in winter, the higher HIX together with the higher BIX and FI of WI-MSBrC suggested that the BrC loading was mainly influenced by primary emissions and was relatively water-soluble. Based on EEM, the types of chromophores in BrC were divided into humic-like substances (HULIS), including low-oxygenated and high-oxygenated species, and protein like compounds (PLOM). The direct radiation absorption caused by WSBrC and WI-MSBrC combinedly in the range of 300–400 nm was accounted for about 40 % to the total radiation (range, 300–700 nm), which emphasizes that the radiation balance of the Earth's climate system is substantially affects by the BrC and should be considered in the radiative forcing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planktonic microorganisms play an important role in maintaining the ecological functions in aquatic ecosystems, but how their structure and function interrelate and respond to environmental changes is still not very clear. Damming interrupts the river continuum and alters river nutrient biogeochemical cycling and biological succession. Considering that river damming decreases the irregular hydrological fluctuation, we hypothesized that it can enhance the ecological functional stability (EFS) of planktonic microorganisms. Therefore, the community composition of planktonic bacteria and archaea, functional genes related to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycling, and relevant environmental factors of four cascade reservoirs in the Pearl River, Southern China, were investigated to understand the impact of damming on microbial community structure and function and verify the above hypothesis. Here, the ratio of function to taxa (F:T) based on Euclidean distance matrix analysis was first proposed to characterize the microbial EFS; the smaller the ratio, the more stable the ecological functions. The results showed that the reservoirs created by river damming had seasonal thermal and chemical stratifications with an increasing hydraulic retention time, which significantly changed the microbial structure and function. The river microbial F:T was significantly higher than that of the reservoirs, indicating that river damming enhances the EFS of the planktonic microorganisms. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that water temperature was an important factor influencing the relationship between the microbial structure and function and thus affected their EFS. In addition, reservoir hydraulic load was found a main factor regulating the seasonal difference in microbial EFS among the reservoirs. This study will help to deepen the understanding of the relationship between microbial structure and function and provide a theoretical basis of assessing the ecological function change after the construction of river damming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial diversity, together with carbon function, plays a key role in driving the wetland carbon cycle; however, the composition, driving factors of carbon-functional genes and the relationship with microbial community have not been well characterized in coastal wetlands. To understand these concerns, microbes, carbon-functional genes, and related environmental factors were investigated in twenty wetlands along China's coast. The results indicate that carbon-functional gene composition is dominated by archaeal rather than bacterial community and that Nanoarchaeaeota is the dominant archaeal phylum associated with carbon cycling in anoxic sediments. Compared with microbes, carbon-functional composition was more stable because they showed the highest Shannon diversity and archaeal functional redundancy. Deterministic processes dominated microbial community, and stochastic processes were more important for carbon-functional genes. Labile Fe governed archaeal and carbon-functional composition by coupling with nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical cycles, while bacterial community was affected by NH4-N and SOC/SON. This study highlights the predominant contributions of archaea to carbon-functional genes and to the stability of carbon-functional composition, thus providing new insights into the microbial dominance of the carbon cycle and the evaluation of carbon function in coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplankton cell size is well known as an essential functional trait, but its control factors are still unclear. Considering light provides the necessary energy for phytoplankton survival, we hypothesized that photosynthetic light energy utilization could influence phytoplankton cell size control. Several scenarios were conducted to understand the relationship between Fv/Fm and cell size for phytoplankton interspecies, and metatranscriptome in the field and transcriptome in the laboratory were used to understand relevant molecular mechanisms. The results indicated that there was a universal significant positive relationship between Fv/Fm and cell volume in general. The molecular evidence demonstrated that light utilization by phytoplankton regulates their cell size by harmonizing the generation and allocation of chemical energy and fixed carbon in the cell. Phytoplankton cell size would cease to enlarge once the increased light energy conversion and subsequent fixed carbon could no longer satisfy the increasing demand of size enlargement. This unity of energy and matter in shaping phytoplankton size results in cell size being an important functional trait. This study is the first to discover the above molecular mechanisms and is helpful to deepen the understanding on the cell size control of phytoplankton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the formation processes of nitrooxy-organosulfates (nitrooxy-OSs) by nighttime chemistry. Here we characterize nitrooxy-OSs at a molecular level in firework- related aerosols in urban Beijing during Chinese New Year. High-molecular-weight nitrooxy-OSs with relatively low H / C and O / C ratios and high unsaturation, which are potentially aromatic-like nitrooxy-OSs, considerably increased during the New Year's Eve. We find that large quantities of carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules possibly formed by nighttime reactions. The sufficient abundance of aliphatic-like and aromatic-like nitrooxy-OSs demonstrates that both anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds are essential precursors of urban secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Besides, more than 98 % of nitrooxy-OSs were extremely low-volatile organic compounds that could easily partition into and consist in the particle phase, and affected the volatility, hygroscopicity, and even toxicity of urban aerosols. Our study provides new insights into the formation of nitrooxy-organosulfates from anthropogenic emissions through nighttime chemistry in the urban atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) produced from phytoplankton and its subsequent degradation both of which occur constantly under diurnal-day time sunlight and by night time dark-microbial processes, influence markedly several biogeochemical processes and functions in aquatic environments and can be feasibly related to global warming (GW). In this work sunlight- mediated high-temperature was shown to accelerate the production of FDOM, but also its complete disappearance over a 24-h diurnal period in July, but not in lower temperature months. In July, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), an early-state DOM, were produced from phytoplankton in early morning (06:00-09:00), then were degraded into four FDOM components over midday (10:00-15:00), which was followed by simultaneous production and almost complete degradation of FDOM with reformation of EPS during night time (02:00-06:00). Such transformations occurred simultaneously with the fluctuating production of nutrients (NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, PO43- and dissolved Si), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and the two isotopes (d15N and d18O) of NO3-. The FDOM components identified by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy combined with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis consisted of EPS, autochthonous humic-like substances (AHLS) of C and M types distinctly, a combined form of C and M types of AHLS, protein-like substances (PLS), newly-released PLS, tryptophan-like substances (TLS), tyrosine-like substances (TYLS), a combined form of TYLS and phenylalanine-like substances (PALS), as well as their degradation products. Finally, stepwise degradation and production processes are synthesized in a pathway for FDOM components production and their subsequent transformation under different diurnal temperature conditions, which provided a broader paradigm for future impacts on GW-mediated DOM dynamics in lake water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firework (FW) emission has strong impacts on air quality and public health. However, little is known about the molecular composition of FW-related airborne particulate matter (PM) especially the organic fraction. Here we describe the detailed molecular composition of Beijing PM collected before, during, and after a FW event in New Year's Eve evening in 2012. Subgroups of CHO, CHNO, and CHOS were characterized using ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. These subgroups comprise substantial fraction of aromatic-like compounds with low O/C ratio and high degrees of unsaturation, some of which plausibly contributed to the formation of brown carbon in Beijing PM. Moreover, we found that the number concentration of sulfur-containing compounds especially the organosulfates was increased dramatically by the FW event, whereas the number concentration of CHO and CHON doubled after the event. The co-variation of CHO, CHON, and CHOS subgroups was suggested to be associated with multiple atmospheric aging processes of aerosols including the multiphase redox chemistry driven by NOx, O3, and •OH. These findings highlight that FW emissions can lead to a sharp increase of high molecular weight compounds particularly aromatic-like substances in urban PM, which may affect the light absorption properties and adverse health effects of atmospheric aerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine aerosol samples collected from the South China Sea (SCS) to East Indian Ocean (EIO) during a cruise from March 10 to April 26, 2015 were studied for diacids and related compounds. In view of the air mass backward trajectories and source regions of geographical features, the cruise area is segregated into the South China Sea (SCS), the East Indian Ocean off the coast of western Indonesia (EIO-WI), the EIO off the coast of Sri Lanka (EIO-SL), Malacca and Sri Lanka docking point (SLDP). Total concentrations of diacids, oxoacids and α-dicarbonyls were much higher at SLDP followed by the SCS, Malacca, and the lowest at the EIO-WI. In this study, oxalic acid (C2) is the dominant diacid during the cruise, followed by malonic acid (C3) in the SCS, EIO-WI, EIO-SL and Malacca, whereas succinic acid (C4) diacid was relatively more abundant than C3 diacid in SLDP. Except for SLDP, C3/C4 mass ratios were always greater than 1, and no significant difference was observed among the cruise. The C2/C4 and C2/total diacids ratios also showed the similar trends. Average mass ratios of adipic acid (C6) to azelaic acid (C9) were less than unity except for at EIO-WI; the mass ratios of phthalic acid (Ph) to azelaic acid (C9) were less than 2 except for at SCS. The concentrations of diacids were higher when the air masses originated from the terrestrial regions than those from the remote oceanic regions. Based on the molecular distributions of organic acids, the mass ratios and linear correlations of selected compounds in each area, we found that the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) released from the ocean surface and subsequent photochemical oxidations were the main contributors to diacids, oxocarboxylic acids and α-dicarbonyls over the SCS to EIO. In addition, the continental outflow that enriched with the anthropogenic VOCs and their aging influenced the organic aerosol loading, particularly over the SCS. The emissions from local terrestrial vegetations as well as fossil fuel combustion and subsequent in-situ photochemical oxidation also played a prominent role in controlling the organic aerosols loading and molecular distributions of diacids and related compounds at SLDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better understand the molecular composition and sources of organic aerosols in Tianjin, a coastal megacity in North China, ambient fine aerosol (PM2.5) samples were collected on a day/night basis during November-December 2016 and May-June 2017. Organic molecular compositions in PM2.5, including aliphatic lipids (n-alkanes, fatty acids and fatty alcohols), sugar compounds and photooxidation products from isoprene, monoterpene, β-caryophyllene, naphthalene and toluene, were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fatty acids, fatty alcohols and saccharides were identified as the most abundant organic compound classes among all the tracers during both seasons. High concentrations of most organics at night in winter may be attributed to intensive residential activities such as house heating and the low boundary layer height. Based on the tracer methods, the contributions of the sum of primary and secondary organic carbon (POC and SOC) to aerosol organic carbon (OC) were 24.8 % (daytime) versus 27.6 % (nighttime) in winter and 38.9 % (daytime) versus 32.5 % (nighttime) in summer. In detail, POC derived from fungal spores, plant debris, and biomass burning accounted for 2.78-31.6 % (12.4 %) of OC in the daytime versus 4.72-45.9 % (16.3 %) at night in winter, and 1.28-9.89 % (5.24 %) versus 2.08-47.2 % (10.6 %) in summer. Biomass burning derived OC was the predominant source of POC in this study, especially at night (16.0 ± 6.88 % in winter and 9.62 ± 8.73 % in summer). Biogenic SOC from isoprene, α/β-pinene and β-caryophyllene exhibited obvious seasonal and diurnal variations, contributing 2.23 ± 1.27 % (2.30 ± 1.35 % in the daytime and 2.18 ± 1.19 % at night) and 8.60 ± 4.02 % (8.98 ± 3.67 % and 8.21 ± 4.39 %) to OC in winter and summer, respectively. Isoprene and α/β-pinene SOC were obviously elevated in summer, especially in the daytime, mainly due to strong photooxidation. Anthropogenic SOC from toluene and naphthalene oxidation contributed higher to OC in summer (21.0 ± 18.5 %) than in winter (9.58 ± 3.68 %). In summer, toluene SOC was the dominant contributor to aerosol OC, and biomass burning OC also accounted for a large portion to OC, especially in the nighttime, which indicate that land/sea breezes also play an important role in aerosol chemistry at the coastal city of Tianjin in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant nitrogen (N) use is a key component of the N cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. The supply of N to plants affects community species composition and ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis and carbon (C) accumulation. However, the availabilities and relative importance of different N forms to plants are not well understood. While nitrate (NO3-) is a major N form used by plants worldwide, it is discounted as a N source for Arctic tundra plants because of extremely low NO3- concentrations in Arctic tundra soils, undetectable soil nitrification, and plant-tissue NO3- that is typically below detection limits. Here we reexamine NO3- use by tundra plants using a sensitive denitrifier method to analyze plant-tissue NO3-. Soil-derived NO3- was detected in tundra plant tissues, and tundra plants took up soil NO3- at comparable rates to plants from relatively NO3--rich ecosystems in other biomes. Nitrate assimilation determined by 15N enrichments of leaf NO3- relative to soil NO3- accounted for 4 to 52% (as estimated by a Bayesian isotope-mixing model) of species-specific total leaf N of Alaskan tundra plants. Our finding that in situ soil NO3- availability for tundra plants is high has important implications for Arctic ecosystems, not only in determining species compositions, but also in determining the loss of N from soils via leaching and denitrification. Plant N uptake and soil N losses can strongly influence C uptake and accumulation in tundra soils. Accordingly, this evidence of NO3- availability in tundra soils is crucial for predicting C storage in tundra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total carbon content of the atmospheric suspended particulate matters consisted of as high as 89-93% organic carbon (OC) in Ulaanbaatar aerosol without showing seasonal variation. However, limited aerosol measurements have been conducted on these OC rich aerosols particularly for high molecular weight constituents. In order to address the gap above, abundance of high molecular weight humic-like substances (HULIS) in total suspended particulates (TSP) from Ulaanbaatar atmospheric aerosol were determined for the first time. HULIS molecular structure was characterised for different seasons using carbon content and UV absorbance measurements coupled with solid phase extraction methods. Although, HULIS contributions to water soluble organic fraction of the winter and summer aerosols were similar HULIS carbon concentration was higher in winter samples (9-37 mg·L-1) than in summer (2-6 mg·L-1). Consequently quantity of aromatic moieties and degree of aromaticity varied between seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean acidification, a complex phenomenon that lowers seawater pH, is the net outcome of several contributions. They include the dissolution of increasing atmospheric CO2 that adds up with dissolved inorganic carbon (dissolved CO2, H2CO3, HCO-3, and CO2-3) generated upon mineralization of primary producers (PP) and dissolved organic matter (DOM). The aquatic processes leading to inorganic carbon are substantially affected by increased DOM and nutrients via terrestrial runoff, acidic rainfall, increased PP and algal blooms, nitrification, denitrification, sulfate reduction, global warming (GW), and by atmospheric CO2 itself through enhanced photosynthesis. They are consecutively associated with enhanced ocean acidification, hypoxia in acidified deeper seawater, pathogens, algal toxins, oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species, and thermal stress caused by longer stratification periods as an effect of GW. We discuss the mechanistic insights into the aforementioned processes and pH changes, with particular focus on processes taking place with different timescales (including the diurnal one) in surface and subsurface seawater. This review also discusses these collective influences to assess their potential detrimental effects to marine organisms, and of ecosystem processes and services. Our review of the effects operating in synergy with ocean acidification will provide a broad insight into the potential impact of acidification itself on biological processes. The foreseen danger to marine organisms by acidification is in fact expected to be amplified by several concurrent and interacting phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using isotope mixing model (IsoSource) and natural δ15N method, this study evaluated contributions of major sources to N of PM2.5 at Beijing (collected during a severe haze episode of January 22nd-30th, 2013) and a background site (Menyuan, Qinghai province; collected from September to October of 2013) of China. At Beijing, δ15N values of PM2.5 (-4.1 - +13.5 ‰; mean = +2.8 ± 6.4 ‰) distributed within the range reported for major anthropogenic sources (including NH3 and NO2 from coal combustion, vehicle exhausts and domestic wastes/sewage). However, δ15N values of PM2.5 at the background site (+8.0 - +27.9 ‰; mean = +18.5 ± 5.8 ‰) were significantly higher than that of potential sources (including NH3 and NO2 from biomass burning, animal wastes, soil N cycle, fertilizer application, and organic N of soil dust). Evidences from molecular ratios of NH4+ to NO3- and/or SO42- in PM2.5, NH3 to NO2 and/or SO2 in ambient atmosphere suggested that the equilibrium of NH3 ↔ NH4+ caused apparent 15N enrichment only in NH4+ of PM2.5 at the background site due to more abundant NH3 than SO2 and NO2. Therefore, a net 15N enrichment (33 ‰) was assumed for NH3 sources of background PM2.5 when fractional contributions were estimated by IsoSource model. Results showed that 41 %, 30 % and 14 % of N in PM2.5 of Beijing originated from coal combustion, vehicle exhausts and domestic wastes/sewage, respectively. Background PM2.5 derived N mainly from biomass burning (58 %), animal wastes (15 %) and fertilizer application (9 %). These results revealed the regulation of the stoichiometry between ammonia and acidic gases on δ15N signals in PM2.5. Emissions of NO2 from coal combustion and NH3 from urban transportation should be strictly controlled to advert the risk of haze episodes in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of nitrate (NO-3), a major nitrogen (N) source for natural plants, has been studied mostly through experimental N addition, enzymatic assay, isotope labeling, and genetic expression. However, artificial N supply may not reasonably reflect the N strategies in natural plants because NO-3 uptake and reduction may vary with external N availability. Due to abrupt application and short operation time, field N addition, and isotopic labeling hinder the elucidation of in situ NO-3 -use mechanisms. The concentration and natural isotopes of tissue NO-3 can offer insights into the plant NO-3 sources and dynamics in a natural context. Furthermore, they facilitate the exploration of plant NO-3 utilization and its interaction with N pollution and ecosystem N cycles without disturbing the N pools. The present study was conducted to review the application of the denitrifier method for concentration and isotope analyses of NO-3 in plants. Moreover, this study highlights the utility and advantages of these parameters in interpreting NO-3 sources and dynamics in natural plants. We summarize the major sources and reduction processes of NO-3 in plants, and discuss the implications of NO-3 concentration in plant tissues based on existing data. Particular emphasis was laid on the regulation of soil NO-3 and plant ecophysiological functions in interspecific and intra-plant NO-3 variations. We introduce N and O isotope systematics of NO-3 in plants and discuss the principles and feasibilities of using isotopic enrichment and fractionation factors; the correlation between concentration and isotopes (N and O isotopes: δ18O and Δ17O); and isotope mass-balance calculations to constrain sources and reduction of NO-3 in possible scenarios for natural plants are deliberated. Finally, we offer a preliminary framework of intraplant δ18O-NO-3 variation, and summarize the uncertainties in using tissue NO-3 parameters to interpret plant NO-3 utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better understand the spatiotemporal variations and interrelationships of greenhouse gases (GHG), monthly surface fluxes and profile concentrations of GHG (CO, NO and CH) in karst areas in the Guizhou Province, southwest China, were measured from June 2006 to May 2007. GHG fluxes showed high variability, with a range of 460.9-1,281.2 mg m h for CO, −25.4 to 81.5 μg m h for NO and −28.7 to −274.9 μg m h for CH, but no obvious seasonal change trends of the fluxes existed. Profile concentrations of CO, NO and CH varied between 0.5 and 31.5 mL L, 0.273 and 0.734, and 0.1 and 3.5 μL L, respectively. In general, concentrations of CO and NO increased with depth, while CH had an inverse trend. However, in October, November and January, the reversal of depth patterns of GHG concentrations took place below 15 cm, close to the soil-rock interface. The spatiotemporal distribution of CO in soil profile was significantly positively correlated with that of NO ( p < 0.05-0.01) and negatively correlated with that of CH ( p < 0.01). The correlation analysis showed that soil temperature and moisture may be responsible for GHG dynamics in the soils, rather than the exchange of GHG between land and atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermally altered tectonites (e.g. mylonites, cataclasites) occur in ore-controlling fault zones in the Huize base-metal district. Non-altered wallrocks and altered but non-mineralized tectonites have similar REE characteristics indicating seawater origin of the host carbonate rocks but with significant terrigenous input. Calcite gangues in mineralized (argillaceous/barite-bearing) tectonites and tectonite ores contain the highest REE values and exhibit convex-upward and roughly roof-shaped REE patterns with positive Eu anomalies, which are typical of hydrothermal crustal fluids. Negative Ce and negative La anomalies in calcite gangues imply hydrothermal fluids that previously interacted with marine and terrigenous rocks underlying the carbonate host rocks. Similarities in the REE characteristics of mineralized tectonites with those of the non-altered wallrocks and non-mineralized tectonites support earlier propositions that hydrothermal fluids were derived from the Kunyang Group basement rocks. REE characteristics of mineralized (argillaceous/barite-bearing) tectonites indicate fluid-wallrock interactions during migration of hydrothermal fluids along faults. Convex-upward REE patterns of tectonite ores were likely due to remobilization of early-formed base-metal sulphides whereas convex-upward REE patterns of strongly mineralized tectonites (i.e. with disseminated–massive base-metal sulphides) were likely due to recrystallization of early formed calcite gangues. REE characteristics of altered tectonites due to fluid-rock interactions during fluid migration and metal/mineral remobilization/recrystallization are depicted in Y/Ho–La/Ho, Tb/Ca–Tb/La, and Yb/Ca–Yb/La plots of the data. Migration of hydrothermal fluids along ore-controlling faults was likely induced by seismic pumping associated with tectonic deformation, whereas the remobilization/recrystallization process likely occurred in ‘pressure shadows’ along ore-controlling faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanming River, the largest urban river in Guizhou Province, southwestern China plateau, has been severely polluted for decades. This study characterizes the organic materials and their sources in the upstream and downstream waters by dissolved organic carbon (DOC), excitation emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis and photo-microbial experiments. DOC concentrations were low (47–120 μM C) upstream and relatively high (146–462 μM C) downstream. The PARAFAC studies on the sample EEM spectra demonstrated that the upstream dissolved organic matter (DOM) was mostly composed of one component that had a fulvic acid-like substance; downstream DOM was composed of two components with mixtures of tryptophan-like and fulvic acid-like substances. From the results of the sewerage drainage samples collected along the bank of the river, it is evident that both household detergent-like and protein-like or tryptophan-like substances are predominantly present, indicating that untreated sewerage effluents are the major sources of organic matter pollution in Nanming River. The degradation experiments conducted on river, sewerage drainage and commercial detergent samples demonstrated that the detergent-like and tryptophan-like substances are both photochemically and microbiologically more decomposable than fulvic acid-like materials under sunlight and dark incubations. These results suggest that the input of the untreated sewerage effluents along the streams is the major pollution source in Nanming River, and the fluorescent DOM was efficiently affected by both photochemical and microbial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate (NO3 −) is major pollutant in groundwater worldwide. Karst aquifers are particularly vulnerable to nitrate contamination from anthropogenic sources due to the rapid movement of water in their conduit networks. In this study, the isotopic compositions (δ15N–NO3 −, δ15N–NH4 +) and chemical compositions(e.g., NO3 −, NH4 +, NO2 −, K+) were measured in groundwater in the Zunyi area of Southwest China during summer and winter to identify the primary sources of contamination and characterize the processes affecting nitrate in the groundwater. It was found that nitrate was the dominant species of nitrogen in most of the water samples. In addition, the δ15N–NO3 − values of water samples collected in summer were lower than those collected in winter, suggesting that the groundwater received a significant contribution of NO3 − from agricultural fertilizer during the summer. Furthermore, the spatial variation in the concentration of nitrate and the δ15N–NO3 − value indicated that some of the urban groundwater was contaminated with pollution from point sources. In addition, the distribution of δ15N–NO3 − values and the relationship between ions in the groundwater indicated that synthetic and organic fertilizers (cattle manure) were the two primary sources of nitrate in the study area, except in a few cases where the water had been contaminated by urban anthropogenic inputs. Finally, the temporal and spatial variation of the water chemistry and isotopic data indicated that denitrification has no significant effect on the nitrogen isotopic values in Zunyi groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic and antimony distribution in water, sediment, soil and plants in the Yata gold mine and surrounding area, southwestern China, was investigated, so as to elucidate the mobilisation, transport, and distribution of As and Sb in mine environments. While oxidation of sulfide minerals mobilises both As and Sb, gold extraction by cyanidation is found to mobilise a large amount of Sb. Strontium concentration in water is proposed as an indicator for the oxidation of sulfide minerals in mine environments rich in carbonate. The partitioning of As, Sb, Fe, Cu, Zn and Sr between suspended particulate matter (SPM) and water shows a particle concentration effect. The partition coefficient (Kd) decreases in the order Fe > Zn > Cu > As = Sb > Sr, consistent with the low affinity of As and Sb to SPM and the significant presence of As and Sb in soluble phase of water. During the transport of metalloids in water downstream of the mine area, As is released from the particulate or sediment to water as a result of the slight increase of pH, whereas Sb is not. The accumulation of As and Sb in soil and prevalent plants is minor with exceptions of rice root and Equisetumarvensel. The As and Sb concentration in the plants appears to be independent of the total As and Sb concentration in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of antibiotics including chloramphenciol (CAP), oxytetracycline (OTC) and tetracycline (TC) was studied in municipal sewage, river water and sediment. Temporal and spatial variations of antibiotic concentrations in municipal sewage, river water and sediment were evaluated. In municipal sewage, CAP, OTC and TC concentrations were in the range of 5.8–47.4, 0.16–5.7 and 0.7–65.2 µg L−1, respectively, and showed a temporal variation with high antibiotic concentrations appearing in the cold season. Untreated municipal sewage can seriously influence both river water and sediment. Generally, high antibiotic concentrations in river water appeared in winter owing to the low flow condition as well as the high antibiotic concentration in the sewage. However, high CAP and OTC concentrations in sediment were observed in summer most likely because runoff in high flow season can carry wastes from some origins (e.g.livestock farms in the countryside) into the river. The partitioning of antibiotics in river water and sediment suggests a lower sorption of TCs to the sediment compared to previous studies, which is believed to be caused by the high Ca2+and Mg2+concentrations, ionic strength and pH of the river water in the carbonate area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudosections for two sediments and one basalt calculated in the system K2O–Na2O–CaO–MgO–FeO–Fe2O3–Al2O3–TiO2–SiO2–H2O for the P–T range 10 to 35 kbar, 300 to 900°C give useful insights into the amount of H2O released from oceanic crust in subduction zones. In cold subduction zones (20 kbar–300°C to 35 kbar–500°C) hydrous minerals storing 3 to 4 wt% H2O are still present in metasediments at depths of 120 km. In the same environment, metabasite releases 1 wt% H2O in the depth range 100 to 120 km, but 4.5 wt% H2O is transported to greater depths. In hot subduction zones (300°C hotter than the cold subduction zone at 100 km depth), dehydration events of metasediments in the depth range 50 to 80 km correspond to the breakdown of chlorite and paragonite. In the calculations no further water is released at greater depths because the modal content of phengite, the only hydrous mineral phase at these depths, remains almost constant. For the same P–T path, metabasite shows continuous dehydration between 40 and 80 km releasing almost 3 wt% H2O. At 120 km depth less than 0.4 wt% of H2O remains. In an average modern subduction zone (∼6°C/km) most dehydration of sediments occurs at depths of 70 to 100 km and that of basalts at depths of 80 to 120 km. Only 1.3 wt% H2O in metasediments and 1.6 wt% H2O in metabasalt has the potential to be subducted to depths greater than 120 km. The dehydration behavior of sediments concurs with the generally held idea that subduction zone fluids are most effectively transported to great depths by cold subduction. In hot subduction zones, such as those characteristic of early Earth, most H2O carried by oceanic crust is liberated at depths less than 120 km and, thus, would not contribute to island-arc magmatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Natural and anthropogenic impacts on karst ground water, Zunyi, Southwest China, are discussed using the stable isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon and particulate organic carbon, together with carbon species contents and water chemistry. The waters can be mainly characterized as HCO3–Ca type, HCO3 · SO4–Ca type, or HCO3 · SO4–Ca · Mg type, according to mass balance considerations. It is found that the average δ13CDIC values of ground waters are higher in winter (low-flow season) than in summer (high-flow season). Lower contents of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and lower values of δ13CDIC in summer than in winter, indicate that local rain events in summer and a longer residence time of water in winter play an important role in the evolution of ground water carbon in karst flow systems; therefore, soil CO2 makes a larger contribution to the DIC in summer than in winter. The range of δ13CDIC values indicate that dissolved inorganic carbon is mainly controlled by the rate of carbonate dissolution. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon in most ground water samples are lower than 2.0 mg C L−1 and 0.5 mg C L−1, respectively, but some waters have slightly higher contents of organic carbon. The waters with high organic carbon contents are generally located in the urban area where lower δ13CDIC values suggest that urbanization has had an effect on the ground water biogeochemistry and might threaten the water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The concentrations of rare earth elements in the dissolved, acid-soluble and residual phases in surface waters of the Changjiang Estuary were determined using ICP-MS. The main purposes of the study are to understand the estuarine geochemistry of rare earth elements and to explore water-particle interactions in the Changjiang estuarine mixing zone. The results show that there are two distinct processes operating on dissolved rare earth elements in the estuary: large scale removal at low salinities due to salt-induced coagulation and remarkable release at mid to high salinities. These processes result in modification of the effective river water flux and the systematical fractionation of the dissolved rare earth elements toward the East China Sea. The increase in concentration of dissolved rare earth elements in the mid to high salinity waters of the Changjiang Estuary suggests a sediment source in the mixing zone of the estuary, which is located over a shallow, broad shelf where there is extensive physical contact between bottom sediment and estuarine waters. Acid-soluble rare earth elements, the concentrations of which also dropped sharply in the low salinity region, appear to be controlled by salt-induced coagulation process and intense deposition of suspended particulate matter in the low salinity region. In the mid to high salinities, all acid-soluble rare earth element concentrations increase slightly with increasing salinity, suggesting that resuspension of sediments occurred. In contrast, the residual rare earth element concentrations are relatively constant with salinity variation in the Changjiang estuarine surface waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment and water from the Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu were analyzed to examine the historical relation between the accumulation of biogenic silica (BSi) and total phosphorus (TP). The results indicate that BSi accumulation in the northern part of Lake Taihu had been controlled by diatom production and phosphorus loading since the 1950s. BSi accumulation increased with the growing agricultural activity since the 1950s, up to a maximum level in the 1960s. After that, BSi accumulation decreased due to the diatom dissolution till the 1980s, and then the diatom biomass decreased with BSi accumulation increased. Lake Taihu came into an accelerated eutrophication periods since the 1990s, while BSi accumulation began to increase but the proportion of diatom decreased. Although the onset of silica depletion cannot be confirmed in the present work, it is clear that BSi accumulation was restrained by the input of TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The amount of pollution from nonpoint sources flowing in the streams of the Wujiang River watershed in Guizhou Province, SW China, is estimated by a geographic information system (GIS)-based method using rainfall, surface runoff and land use data. A grid of cells of 100 m in size is laid over the landscape. For each cell, mean annual surface runoff is estimated from rainfall and percent land use, and expected pollutant concentration is estimated from land use. The product of surface runoff and concentration gives expected pollutant loading from that cell. These loadings are accumulated going downstream to give the expected annual pollutant loadings in streams and rivers. By dividing these accumulated loadings by the similarly accumulated mean annual surface runoff, the expected pollutant concentration from nonpoint sources is determined for each location in a stream or river. Observed pollutant concentrations in the watershed are averaged at each sample point and compared to the expected concentrations at the same locations determined from the grid cell model. In general, annual nonpoint source nutrient loadings in the Wujiang River watershed are seen to be predominantly from the agricultural and meadow areas. The total annual loadings through the outlet of the watershed are 40,309 and 2,607 tons for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract??Winter seasonal concentrations of dissolved rare earth elements (REE) of two major river systems (the Wujiang River system and the Yuanjiang River system) in karst-dominated regions in winter were measured by using a method involving solvent extraction and back-extraction and subsequent ICP-MS measurements. The dissolved REE concentrations in the rivers and their tributaries are lower than those in most of the large rivers in the world. High pH and high cation (i.e., Na+?+?Ca2+) concentrations of the rivers are the most important factors controlling the concentrations of dissolved REE in the river water.The dissolved load (<0.22??m) REE distribution patterns of high-pH river waters are very different from those of low-pH river waters. The shale (PAAS)-normalized REE patterns for the dissolved loads are characterized by light REE-enrichment and heavy REE-enrichment. Water in the upper reaches of the Wujiang River generally shows light REE-enriched patterns, while that in the middle and lower reaches generally shows heavy REE-enriched patterns. The Yuanjiang River is heavy REE enriched with respect to the light REE in the same samples. Water of the Wuyanghe River draining dolomite-dominated terrains has the highest heavy REE-enrichment. Most river water samples show the shale-normalized REE patterns with negative Ce and Eu anomalies, especially water from Wuyanghe River. Y/Ho ratios show that the water/particle interaction might have played an important role in fractionation between HREE and LREE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yulong ore-bearing porphyries, along the northwestern extension of the Red River–Ailao Shan fault system in eastern Tibet, consist of five porphyry deposits, containing a total of more than 8 million tons of copper resources. U–Th–Pb laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry dating of zircon shows that the porphyries were emplaced in Early Tertiary (41.2–36.9 Ma), covering a period of ∼4.3 Ma, with formation ages decreasing systematically from northwest to southeast. The start of porphyry magmatism coincided with the onset of transpressional movement along the Red River–Ailao Shan fault system, implying a close link between these two events. Age sequence in intrusions can be plausibly explained by assuming that a region of melting in the lower northwestern plate moved southeasternward along the Tuoba–Mangkang fault relative to the upper plate. Zircon grains from the Yulong ore-bearing porphyries have higher Ce4+/Ce3+ than those from barren porphyries in the region. This suggests that the ore-bearing porphyries crystallized from a relatively oxidized magma, which has important implications for future ore exploration in the region and other Cu deposits in convergent margin environments in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secular variations in the carbon isotopic composition of organic and carbonate carbon characterize the Lower to Middle Cambrian transition that is exposed on the Yangtze Platform at Taijiang, Guizhou Province, southern China. δ13C values for organic matter range between -33.4 and -26.5‰. The carbon isotopic composition for carbonate carbon fluctuates between -2.7 and +3.1‰. A progressive decrease in the isotopic difference (Δδ) between these two isotope records reflects a decrease in the proportional contribution of bacterial biomass to the total sedimentary organic matter. In general, the observed changes are interpreted to reflect primary depositional values, notably variations in the burial rates of organic matter. These, in turn, are linked to biological changes across the Lower to Middle Cambrian transition. No distinct shift in the carbon isotopic composition marks the proposed Lower--Middle Cambrian boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in the concentrations and isotopic compositions (δ13CDIC) of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reflect contamination and biogeochemical cycling of the carbon in ground water. In order to understand contamination and biogeochemical cycling of DIC, we carried out research on the geochemistry of ground water of Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou Province, China. Results show that ground water is mainly characterized by SO₄·HCO₃-Ca·Mg and HCO₃-Ca·Mg chemical compositions. The hydrochemical characteristics of these types of water are mainly controlled by lithology of the aquifers. HCO₃- is the dominant species of DIC in ground water and has lower concentrations and more negative values of δ13CDIC in the high-flow (summer monsoon) season, as compared to the low-flow season. This indicates that DIC is relatively enriched in carbon of biological origin in the high-flow season as compared to the low-flow season and that biological activities are the predominant control on shifts of stable carbon isotope values. The evidence that the δ13CDIC values of ground water decrease with increasing concentrations of anthropogenic species shows that the carbon isotopic composition of DIC can be a useful tracer of contamination, in addition to biogeochemical cycling of inorganic carbon in ground water. Results from this study show that ground water is impacted by significant levels of contamination from human activities, especially in the urban areas, as well as the northeast and west suburbs, in Guiyang city, southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mine tailings can provide a long-term source of environmental contamination. Lead-zinc mine tailings can represent a source of toxic elements-Pb and Zn through mobilization into surface water, and then into downstream rivers. Previous studies have shown that migration of heavy metals can be mitigated by carbonate rock. This research investigates the characterization of heavy metals and sulphur isotope in a downstream river of the Shanshulin Pb-Zn mine, which is located in Guizhou province in China, a typical carbonate area in the world. A slight alkalinity (pH > 8) of the river water is maintained owing to the carbonate rich country rocks. The results of this study show that heavy metals in water can be strongly adsorbed by suspended solids and therefore decrease more quickly than in sediments. Pb and Zn contents in water close to the waste pile are 6780 μg L-1 and 324 μg L-1 (Pb and Zn in water not affected by mine waste piles are only 3.71 μg L-1 and 11.6 μg L-1) respectively, meaning that the water is severely contaminated by the pile. Thirty kilometers downstream Pb and Zn contents in water drop quickly to 3.15 μg L-1 and 16.4 μg L-1. In contrast, Pb and Zn contents in sediment close to the waste pile are 4553 mg kg-1 and 7971 mg kg-1 respectively, and are still high 30 km downstream with measurements of 3334 mg kg-1 and 7268 mg kg-1 respectively (Pb and Zn contents in sediment not affected by mine waste piles are only 20 mg kg-1 and 120 mg kg-1). This indicates that the impact of tailings on the sediment can be much further than on water. In sediment, Pb exists mostly as carbonate and oxide fractions, Zn mostly as sulfide+organic fraction, and Cu mostly as sulfide+organic, residual and carbonate fractions. Sulphur characteristics indicate that sulphur in sediment originates from mine tailing, soil and suspended solids in other tributaries, whereas sulphur in water originates from mine tailing dissolution, spring water, rain water and dissolution of gypsum. In conclusion, the environmental impact of mine tailing can be indicated by heavy metals content, sulphur content and sulphur isotope of sediment. On the other hand, heavy metal content, sulphur content or sulphur isotope of water are possibly not good indicators for mine impact due to mitigation of carbonate rocks, sorption of heavy metals, as well as interference of gypsum layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dongguashan skarn copper deposit can be considered as the product of the transport‐chemical reaction coupling process of ore‐forming materials (for example, complexes of copper) in discrete, parallel fractures in a porous medium system. A mathematical model of metallogenesis has been established and the accurate analytical solutions for depicting the transport of ore‐forming materials have been worked out. In establishing the model of metallogenesis and working out the analytical solutions, the following aspects have been taken into consideration: (1) advective transport along fractures; (2) diffusion and longitudinal mechanical dispersion of ore‐forming materials (solutes) along the fracture axis; (3) diffusion of ore‐forming materials from the fractures to the wall media; (4) adsorption of ore‐forming materials on the surface of wall‐rock matrices; (5) adsorption of ore‐forming materials within the wall‐rock matrices; (6) reduction of the concentrations of solutes due to the chemical reactions between ore fluids and wall‐rock matrices and the precipitation of ore‐forming materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]