Arsenic and fluoride co-enrichment of groundwater in the loess areas and associated human health risks:A case study of Dali County in the Guanzhong Basin

This study aims to reveal the occurrence and origin of typical groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations in the loess area of the Guanzhong Basin—a Neogene faulted basin.Key findings are as follows:(1)Groundwater samples with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations collected from the loess area and the terraces of the Weihe River accounted for 26%and 30%,respectively,of the total samples,with primary hydrochemical type identified as HCO_(3)-Na.The karst and sand areas exhibit relatively high groundwater quality,serving as preferred sources for water supply.It is recommended that local governments fully harness groundwater in these areas;(2)groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations in the loess area and the alluvial plain of rivers in Dali County is primarily distributed within the Guanzhong Basin,which represents the drainage zone of groundwater;(3)arsenic and fluoride in groundwater originate principally from natural and anthropogenic sources;(4)the human health risk assessments reveal that long-term intake of groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations pose cancer or non-cancer risks,which are more serious to kids compared to adults.This study provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations in loess areas.

Analysis of Land Use Characteristics in Mountainous Areas in Yunnan Province Based on Second National Land Survey

Abstract Based on Second National Land Survey during 2007-2009 and land use type survey in ftatland areas, status quo of land use in mountainous areas in Yun- nan was measured, and analysis was made on land use in mountainous areas in terms of land use structure, degree and development potential, providing references for rational use of land in mountainous areas in Yunnan.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Appetite Suppressant Plants Used in Hauts-Bassins Areas of Burkina Faso

This study aimed to list the medicinal plants used as an appetite suppressant in Hauts-Bassins areas of Burkina Faso. An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken from September to November 2021 using a semi-structured questionnaire. To determine well-known families and species, some indices such as Family Importance Value (FIV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) were calculated respectively. Sixty-seven traditional healers (41 men and 26 women) have been interviewed. The age group from 41 to 60 years old was more represented (47.76%). Fifty-eight (58) plant species belonging to 29 families and 53 genera were recorded to have appetite suppressant properties. Fabaceae family (25%) was the most mentioned followed by Combretaceae (12%). The most mentioned species were Guierasenegalensis (7.64%), Parkiabiglobosa (6.18%), Annona senegalensis and Gardenia erubescens (5.35% for both). Leaves and fruits had the highest frequencies of use with 41% and 25% respectively. The decoction (49.62%) was the main preparation method. The oral route was the only mode of drug administration. These results would contribute to strengthening the database on the medicinal plants used as an appetite suppressant by the traditional healers in Burkina Faso.

Geochemical Stream Sediment Survey in the Wadi Umm Rilan Area,South Eastern Desert,Egypt:A New Occurrence for Gold Mineralization

The present paper investigates the stream sediment geochemistry, behavior of gold and associated elements, delineates Au-anomalous sites and defines related sources in the Wadi Umm Rilan area. Fifty three major and trace elements were analyzed using ICP-MS and treated applying various statistical and mapping techniques. The results showed a significant difference of mean and median Au and most chemical elements in the three portions of the area, and higher values were recorded in the western portion. Furthermore, Au-anomalous sites appeared in upper and lower parts of the Wadi Umm Rilan, along the tributaries of metavolcanic unit and near granitoid contacts. This indicates the main source of Au mineralization is related to emplacement of granitoid plutons and accompanying hydrothermal solutions. There are significant indications for the presence of more than one mineralization event forming a probable single major episode of mineralization in the area, involving Au, Pb and U mineralizations. Geology, geomorphologic aspects and weathering processes could control stream sediment geochemistry, anomalies of Au and associated elements, elemental association and their dispersion patterns. Therefore, the area is fruitful and regarded as a promising target for Au exploration, using Ag, As, Sb, Cd, Cs, and TI as pathfinder elements.

A Survey of Social Nutrition Status of the Elderly in theUrban Area of Chengdu, Sichuan Province

The social nutrition status was investigated among 246 subjects aged 60-90 living at three urban communities in Chengdu of Sichuan Province. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate socirydeweraphic background, the subjects' nutrition knowledge, and the support systerns for geriatric nutrition. Fasting venous blcod was colected for the analysis of biochemical parameters. Blood pressure, bene mineral contents (BMC), body weight (BW) and they height (BH) were measured at the same time. Only 49. 7% of the subjects correctly an swered four basic questions on nutrition. Food patterns for the elder1y were simple and modest. Several nutrition-related disorders for the elderly were including high systolic bbo pressure (44. 6 % ), hyPertriglyceridemia (25. 9 % ), high diasto1ic blood pressure (25. 1% ),obesity (24. 5% ), high PBG (20. 6% ), emaciation (19. 9%), high FBG (17.9%) and osteoporosis (16. 8%). These data indicate that the support systems for the geriatric nutrition will have to be improved.

TEDA(Tianjin Economic-technological Development Area)——A General Survey, Experience and the Plan for Future Development.

Since its establishment about ten years ago, TEDA has taken advantage of eachopportune time created by China’s policy of opening wider and wider to the outsideworld and the rapid economic growth to deepen its reform and extend its exploitation,and thus has maintained a favorable momentum and an extraordinary high speed foreconomic development. With the total economic output of the whole area raised to

Survey of Sugarcane Pests in Xianggui Sugarcane Area and Countermeasures of Pest Control

Joint survey panel composed of three units investigated sugarcane borers in Xianggui sugarcane area,in order to make clear the current situation of sugarcane borers,estimate the economic loss caused by sugarcane borers,and analyze the causes of increasingly serious occurrence of sugarcane pests.The survey results indicated that sugarcane pests occurred seriously in Xianggui sugarcane area;the average rate of borer-damaged strain was 46.54%,the average yield loss was 14.87%,and the average sucrose content loss was as high as 1.12%.The estimated results of eco-nomic damage caused by pests demonstrated that the agricultural loss was 467 million yuan,the industry loss was 856 million yuan and the national financial loss was 51 million yuan.According to the survey results,the experts of research group analyzed and summarized the causes of increasing-ly serious occurrence of sugarcane pests in Xianggui sugarcane area,and put forward the countermeasures for the prevention and control of sugar-cane pests in this area.

Ecological risk assessment and early warning of heavy metal cumulation in the soils near the Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area,Henan Province,central China

The Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area is rich in mineral resources and has a long history of mining.The environmental impact of long-term mining activities cannot be ignored.It is of great significance to study the ecological risk and the accumulation trends of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas for scientific prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.Taking the Taowanbeigou River Basin in the mine concentration area as the research object,the ecological pollution risk and cumulative effect of heavy metals in the soil of the basin were studied by using the comprehensive pollution index method,potential ecological risk assessment method and geoaccumulation index method.On this basis,the cumulative exceeding years of specific heavy metals were predicted by using the early warning model.The comprehensive potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil near the Luanchuan mine concentration area is moderate,and the single element Cd is the main ecological risk factor,with a contribution rate of 53.6%.The overall cumulative degrees of Cu and Pb in the soil are“none-moderate”,Zn and Cd are moderate,Mo has reached an extremely strong cumulative level,Hg,As and Cr risks are not obvious,and the overall cumulative risks order is Mo>Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg.According to the current accumulation rate and taking the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land as the reference standard,the locations over standard rates of Cu,Zn and Cd will exceed 78%in 90years,and the over standard rate of Pb will reach approximately 57%in 200 years.The cumulative exceeding standard periods of As,Cr and Hg are generally long,which basically indicates that these elements do not pose a significant potential threat to the ecological environment.Mining activities will accelerate the accumulation of heavy metals in soil.With the continuous development of mining activities,the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas will also increase.

Survey and Analysis of Common Diseases of Laboratory Monkeys, Taking Kunming Area as an Example

[Objective] The paper was to understand the epidemiology of common diseases of laboratory monkeys in Kunming area. [Method]Through the investigation of sick and dead monkeys in a large-scale laboratory monkey breeding facility in Kunming area in 2014,the animals were classified depending on the main symptoms,and diseases were classified according to adult and juvenile monkeys. Data were analyzed by Office Excel 2010 software. [Result]Digestive system diseases,respiratory system diseases,trauma,reproductive system diseases,and locomotor system diseases were common disease types of laboratory monkeys in Kunming area,accounting for 47. 45%,13. 06%,12. 10%,11. 46% and 8. 92%,respectively. Common diseases included diarrhea,soft tissue injury,abortion,lobar pneumonia,dysentery,arthritis,bowel gas,chronic colitis,and extremely poor nutrition,and the ratios were 18. 47%,11. 15%,8. 91%,8. 28%,7. 96%,5. 10%,5. 10% and 5. 09%,respectively. [Conclusion]A set of scientific and reasonable measures for prevention and control of diseases is formulated,which is of great significance for improving the quantity and quality of laboratory monkeys and ensuring the accuracy of animal test results.

Effect and Prospect of Basic Geological Survey Based on Airborne Gravimetry in China

The airborne gravimetry was an important leap and innovation in the world＇s history of geophysical exploration. China＇s first test of the airborne gravity geological survey in the onshoreoffshore transitional area of the western and southern part of the Bohai Sea was successful and effective in geology. Based on the airborne gravity data, and combining previous ground gravity, seismic and drilling data etc., we carried out the geological interpretation by forward and inverse methods. The result shows that the airborne Bouguer gravity anomaly was clear, the fracture interpretation was reliable, and the inversion depth of the main geological interfaces was relatively accurate. This airborne gravity geological survey not only filled the exploring gaps in the onshore- offshore transitional area, and realized the geological and tectonic junction between the sea and the land, but also discovered four local gravity anomalies, 11 fractures and three sags or subsags, and so on. The good geological effect of airborne gravimetry not restricted by terrain condition shows that it can be served as a new geophysical method in the exploration of complex terrain physiognomy area such as mountain, jungle, desert, marsh, onshore-offshore transitional area and so on, and has an extensive application prospect in China in the future.

Age and geochemistry of the granitoid from the Lunte area,Northeastern Zambia:Implications for magmatism of the Columbia supercontinent

The Paleoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the Bangweulu Block has long been controversial.Paleoproterozoic granites consisting of the basement complex of the Bangweulu Block are widely exposed in northeastern Zambia,and they are the critical media for studying the tectonic evolution of the Bangweulu Block.This study systematically investigated the petrography,zircon U-Pb chronology,and petrogeochemistry of the granitoid extensively exposed in the Lunte area,northeastern Zambia.The results show that the granitoid in the area formed during 2051±13-2009±20 Ma as a result of Paleoproterozoic magmatic events.Geochemical data show that the granites in the area mainly include syenogranites and monzogranites of high-K calc-alkaline series and are characterized by high SiO2 content(72.68%‒73.78%)and K_(2)O/Na_(2)O ratio(1.82‒2.29).The presence of garnets,the high aluminum saturation index(A/CNK is 1.13‒1.21),and the 1.27%‒1.95%of corundum molecules jointly indicate that granites in the Lunte area are S-type granites.Rare earth elements in all samples show a rightward inclination and noticeably negative Eu-anomalies(δEu=0.16‒0.40)and are relatively rich in light rare earth elements.Furthermore,the granites are rich in large ion lithophile elements such as Rb,Th,U,and K and are depleted in Ba,Sr,and high field strength elements such as Ta and Nb.In addition,they bear low contents of Cr(6.31×10^(−6)‒10.8×10^(−6)),Ni(2.87×10^(−6)‒4.76×10^(−6)),and Co(2.62×10^(−6)‒3.96×10^(−6)).These data lead to the conclusion that the source rocks are meta-sedimentary rocks.Combining the above results and the study of regional tectonic evolution,the authors suggest that granitoid in the Lunte area were formed in a tectonic environment corresponding to the collision between the Tanzania Craton and the Bangweulu Block.The magmatic activities in this period may be related to the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent.

Response of glacier area variation to climate change in the Kaidu-Kongque river basin,Southern Tianshan Mountains during the last 20 years

Glaciers are crucial water resources for arid inland rivers in Northwest China.In recent decades,glaciers are largely experiencing shrinkage under the climate-warming scenario,thereby exerting tremendous influences on regional water resources.The primary role of understudying watershed scale glacier changes under changing climatic conditions is to ensure sustainable utilization of regional water resources,to prevent and mitigate glacier-related disasters.This study maps the current(2020)distribution of glacier boundaries across the Kaidu-Kongque river basin,south slope of Tianshan Mountains,and monitors the spatial evolution of glaciers over five time periods from 2000-2020 through thresholded band ratios approach,using 25 Landsat images at 30 m resolution.In addition,this study attempts to understand the role of climate characteristics for variable response of glacier area.The results show that the total area of glaciers was 398.21 km^(2)in 2020.The glaciers retreated by about 1.17 km^(2)/a(0.26%/a)from 2000 to 2020.The glaciers were reducing at a significantly rapid rate between 2000 and 2005,a slow rate from 2005 to 2015,and an accelerated rate during 2015-2020.The meteorological data shows slight increasing trends of mean annual temperature(0.02℃/a)and annual precipitation(2.07 mm/a).The correlation analysis demonstrates that the role of temperature presents more significant correlation with glacier recession than precipitation.There is a temporal hysteresis in the response of glacier change to climate change.Increasing trend of temperature in summer proves to be the driving force behind the Kaidu-Kongque basin glacier recession during the recent 20 years.

Mechanisms of salt rejection at the ice-liquid interface during the freezing of pore fluids in the seasonal frozen soil area

Seasonal frozen soil accounts for about 53.50%of the land area in China.Frozen soil is a complex multiphase system where ice,water,soil,and air coexist.The distribution and migration of salts in frozen soil during soil freezing are notably different from those in unfrozen soil areas.However,little knowledge is available about the process and mechanisms of salt migration in frozen soil.This study explores the mechanisms of salt migration at the ice-liquid interface during the freezing of pore fluids through batch experiments.The results are as follows.The solute concentrations of liquid and solid phases at the ice-liquid interface(C*_(L),C*_(S))gradually increased at the initial stage of freezing and remained approximately constant at the middle stage.As the ice-liquid interface advanced toward the system boundary,the diffusion of the liquid phase was blocked but the ice phase continued rejecting salts.As a result,C*_(L)and C*_(S)rapidly increased at the final stage of freezing.The distribution characteristics of solutes in ice and the liquid phases before C*_(L)and C*_(S)became steady were mainly affected by the freezing temperature,initial concentrations,and particle-size distribution of media(quartz sand and kaolin).In detail,the lower the freezing temperature and the better the particle-size distribution of media,the higher the solute proportion in the ice phase at the initial stage of freezing.Meanwhile,the increase in concentration first promoted but then inhibited the increase of solutes in the ice phase.These results have insights and scientific significance for the tackling of climate change,the environmental protection of groundwater and soil,and infrastructure protection such as roads,among other things.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater and pore-water and the paleoenvironmental evolution in the past 3.10 Ma in the Xiong’an New Area,North China

The groundwater level has been continuously decreasing due to climate change and long-time overexploitation in the Xiong’an New Area,North China,which caused the enhanced mixing of groundwater in different aquifers and significant changes in regional groundwater chemistry characteristics.In this study,groundwater and sediment pore-water in drilling cores obtained from a 600 m borehole were investigated to evaluate hydrogeochemical processes in shallow and deep aquifers and paleo-environmental evolution in the past ca.3.10 Ma.Results showed that there was no obvious change overall in chemical composition along the direction of groundwater runoff,but different hydrochemical processes occurred in shallow and deep groundwater in the vertical direction.Shallow groundwater(<150 m)in the Xiong’an New Area was characterized by high salinity(TDS>1000 mg/L)and high concentrations of Mn and Fe,while deep groundwater had better water quality with lower salinity.The high TDS values mostly occurred in aquifers with depth<70 m and>500 m below land surface.Water isotopes showed that aquifer pore-water mostly originated from meteoric water under the influence of evaporation,and aquitard pore-water belonged to Paleo meteoric water.In addition,the evolution of the paleoclimate since 3.10 Ma BP was reconstructed,and four climate periods were determined by theδ18O profiles of pore-water and sporopollen records from sediments at different depths.It can be inferred that the Quaternary Pleistocene(0.78‒2.58 Ma BP)was dominated by the cold and dry climate of the glacial period,with three interglacial intervals of warm and humid climate.What’s more,this study demonstrates the possibilities of the applications of pore-water on the hydrogeochemical study and further supports the finding that pore-water could retain the feature of paleo-sedimentary water.

Problems and Recommendations for Rural Statistics and Survey Methods

With constant deepening of the reform and opening-up,national economic system has changed from planned economy to market economy,and rural survey and statistics remain in a difficult transition period. In this period,China needs transforming original statistical mode according to market economic system. All levels of government should report and submit a lot and increasing statistical information. Besides,in this period,townships,villages and counties are faced with old and new conflicts. These conflicts perplex implementation of rural statistics and survey and development of rural statistical undertaking,and also cause researches and thinking of reform of rural statistical and survey methods.

Toward Estimating the Variance in Acoustic Surveys Based on Sampling Design

This paper develops a sampling method to estimate the integral of a function of the area with a strategy to cover the area with parallel lines of observation. This sampling strategy is special in that lines very close to each other are selected much more seldom than under a uniformly random design for the positions of the parallel lines. It is also special in that the positions of some of the lines are deterministic. Two different variance estimators are derived and investigated by sampling different man made signal functions. They show different properties in that the estimator that estimate the biggest variance gives an error interval that, in some situations, may be more than ten times the error interval computed from the other estimator. It is also obvious that the second estimator underestimates the variance. The author has not succeeded to derive an expression for the expectation of this estimator. This work is motivated towards finding the variance of acoustic abundance estimates.

Status of China's Geological Survey and Geological Environments in 2013

With the approach of the 45th World Earth Day,China＇s Ministry of Land and Resources issued the status of the Chinese geological survey and environments on 22nd April 2013.Regional geological survey in 2013 achieved new results-（why was oceanic in twice？） polar and oceanic expedition were fully completed,a national census of geography was begun,and the security capacity of mapping geographic information was enhanced.A new idea for integrated geological survey and scientific research was proposed to enhance marine geological surveys and to improve service capabilities.

Is the Farmland of China Sufficient?——Analysis Based on the Second National Land Survey

According to the data of the second national land survey,the farmland area of China at the end of 2009 was 200 million mu more than the original statistical data.This raises widespread concern.Analysis is carried out from the perspective of task,technique,necessities and effect on China's grain security of the second national land survey.Through analysis,it can be deemed that data of the second national land survey are reliable.It overcomes defects of traditional survey projects and will be of profound significance for grasping current situations of farmland resources in China.Farmers are grain production entities,while the grain yield survey of farmers is calculated through sampling survey of per unit area yield and the sown area.Therefore,the increase in farmland area may indicate underestimation of the grain yield,and the grain security risk of China will decline accordingly.

Basement interface structural characteristics beneath Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area in Xinjiang, China

The seismic data obtained from high resolution seismic refraction profile in Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area in Xinjiang, China were further processed with ray hit analysis method and more complete basement interface structural characteristics beneath Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area were determined. The results show that there are two clear basement interfaces at the upper crust in Jiashi strong earthquake swarm area. The first one with buried depth ranging from 2.6 km to 3.3 km presents integral and continuous structure, and it appears an inclined plane interface and smoothly rises up toward Tianshan Mountain. The second basement interface with buried depth from 8.5 km to 11.8 km, is the antiquated crystalline basement of Tarim basin. Near the post number of 37 km, the buried depth of the crystalline basement changed abruptly by 2.5 km, which maybe result from an ultra crystalline basement fault. If taking this fault as a boundary, the crystalline basement could be divided into two parts, i.e. the southwestern segment with buried depth about 11.5 km, and the northeastern segment with buried depth approxi-mately from 8.5 km to 9.0 km. That is to say, in each segment, the buried depth changes not too much. The northeast segment rises up as a whole and upheaves slightly from southwest to northeast, which reflects the upper crustal deformation characteristics under the special tectonic background at the northwestern edge of Tarim basin.

Spatial Transferability of Vegetation Types in Distribution Models Based on Sample Surveys from an Alpine Region

Vegetation mapping using field surveys is expensive. Distribution modelling, based on sample surveys, might overcome this challenge. We tested if models trained from sample surveys could be used to predict the distribution of vegetation types in neighbourhood areas, and how reliable the spatial transferability was. We also tested whether we should use ecological dissimilarity or spatial distance to foresee modelling performance. Maximum entropy models were run for three vegetation types based on a vegetation map within a mountain range. Environmental variables were selected backwards, model complexity was kept low. The models are based on points from a small part of each study site, transferred into the entire sites, and then tested for performance. Environmental distance was tested using principle component analysis. All models had high uncorrected AUC values. The ability to predict presences correctly was low. The ability to predict absences correctly was high. The ability to transfer the distribution model depended on environmental distance, not spatial distance.