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.

New Rural Community Construction or Retention Development:A Comparative Analysis of Rural Settlement Transition Mechanism in Plain Agriculture Area of China Based on Actor Network Theory

It is an important way to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development to guide rural settlement transition(RST)in an appropriate way.This paper uses actor network theory(ANT)to construct a theoretical framework for the study of RST.Taking two typical villages with different transition paths in rural areas of North China Plain as examples,this paper reveals the mechanism of RST and makes a comparative analysis.The results show that:1)after identifying problems and obligatory passage point,key actors recruit heterogeneous actors into the actor network by entrusting them with common interests,and realize RST under the system operation.2)Rural settlements under different transition paths have similarities in the problems to be solved,collective actions and policy factors,but there are differences in the transition process,mechanism and effect.The actor network and mechanism of RST through the path of new rural community construction are more complex and the transition effect is more thorough.In contrast,the degree of RST of retention development path is limited if there is no resource and location advantage.3)Based on the applicable conditions of different paths,this paper designs a logical framework of‘Situation-Structure-Behavior-Result’to scientifically guide the identification of RST paths under the background of rural revitalization.

Socio-economic vulnerability level in the Jeneberang watershed in Gowa Regency,South Sulawesi Province,Indonesia

Jeneberang watershed is vital,particularly for people living in Gowa Regency(South Sulawesi Province,Indonesia),who benefit from its many advantages.Landslides and floods occur every year in the Jeneberang watershed,so it is imperative to understand the socio-economic vulnerability of this region.This research aims to identify the vulnerability level of the Jeneberang watershed so that the government can prioritize areas with high vulnerability level and formulate effective strategies to reduce these the vulnerability.Specifically,this study was conducted in 12 districts located in the Jeneberang watershed.The primary data were collected from questionnaires completed by community members,community leaders,and various stakeholders,and the secondary data were from the Landsat satellite imagery in 2020,the Badan Push Statistic of Gowa Regency,and some governmental agencies.The socio-economic vulnerability variables were determined using the Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis(MCDA)method,and each variable was weighted and analyzed using the Geographical Information System(GIS).The study reveals that the levels of socio-economic vulnerability are affected by variables such as population density,vulnerable groups(disabled people,elderly people,and young people),road network and settlement,percentage of poor people,and productive land area in the Jeneberang watershed.Moreover,all of the 12 districts in the Jeneberang watershed are included in the medium vulnerability level,with the mean percentage of socio-economic vulnerability around 50.92%.The socio-economic vulnerability of Bajeng,Pallangga,and Somba Opu districts is categorized at high level,the socio-economic vulnerability of Bungaya,Parangloe,and Tombolo Pao districts is classified as medium level,and the remaining 6 districts(Barombong,Bontolempangan,Bontomarannu,Manuju,Parigi,and Tinggimoncong)are ranked as low socio-economic vulnerability.This study can help policy-makers to formulate strategy that contributes to the protection of biodiversity and sustainable development of the Jeneberang watershed,while improving disaster resilience and preparedness of the watershed.

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.

Spatiotemporal Interaction Between Rural Settlements and Cultivated Land in Karst Mountainous Area,China

Settlements and cultivated land are important production and living spaces in promoting rural revitalization.However,few studies have explored the relationship between rural settlements and cultivated land from spatiotemporal interaction perspective.This paper analyzed the spatiotemporal conversion and the interactive mechanism between rural settlements and cultivated land in a karst mountainous area(Qixingguan District of Guizhou Province)with fragile ecological environment in China during 2009–2018.The results showed that the expansion of rural settlements and the loss of cultivated land coexisted in Qixingguan District.Only 2.68%of the new cultivated land was reclaimed from rural settlements,whereas 85.45%of the new rural settlements occupied cultivated land.Six spatial expansion modes of rural settlements when occupying cultivated land were identified.Among these six modes,the area of the edge-expansion&along traffic roads(EA)mode accounted for 52.75%.The occupation by rural settlements made the cultivated land landscape more fragmented.The area ratio index of cultivated land to rural settlements(ARICR)of Qixingguan District averaged 18.75in 2009 and 17.21 in 2018,respectively.The ARICR reduced in all township administrative regions.Cultivated land with suitable slope condition for farming or without rocky desertification was more likely to be occupied by rural settlements.The probability of cultivated land occupied by rural settlements increased with the decrease of the distance to traffic roads,towns,and old rural settlements.The better the economic and social development of the township administrative regions,the more the ARICR decreased,while the richer the agricultural resources and the better the rural development of the township administrative regions,the less the ARICR decreased.The optimal reconstruction path of rural settlements,the comprehensive conservation path of cultivated land and the urban-rural integration development path in karst mountainous area were proposed.The findings would contribute to our understanding of the spatiotemporal interaction between rural settlements and cultivated land,and would provide a theoretical basis for promoting the coordinated development of rural man-land relationship and rural revitalization in karst areas.

Analyzing land use characteristics of rural settlements on the urban fringe of Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing, China

The objective of this paper is to analyze land use characteristics of rural settlements in urban fringe so as to provide references for optimizing the regional distribution of rural settlements, consolidating rural settlements, and coordinating urban-rural integrated development. The methods of spatial statistical analysis, buffer analysis, Ripley's K function, kernel density analysis based on GIS(Geographic Information System) were used to analyze the characteristics of scale, spatial differentiation and spatial patterns of the rural settlements in Liangjiang New Area in Chongqing Municipality of China. The fractal dimension formula was also developed to reflect fractal feature of the rural settlements. The results show that, the scale of rural settlements in Liangjang New Area takes on distinct characteristics of spatial differentiation along with changes in elevation, gradient, location, geohazards distribution, and the like. The fractal characteristic of rural settlements has obvious regional variations subject to the 6 factors of location in the Liangjiang New Area. Overall, the worse the terrain conditions are, the larger the fractal dimension values become. The better the locationconditions, the larger the fractal dimension values are. The spatial pattern in the township scale presents three kinds of distribution as being aggregated, uniform and random. In contract, the spatial pattern in the plaque scale displays a banding distribution from a general view with several aggregation zones centering on each town center. From the results, we can see that the characteristics of rural settlements in urban fringe are more complicated. For such kind of rural settlements in special regions, in the rural land consolidation more attention should be paid to improve the rural living environments and public services, as well as to promote the harmonious relationship between the urban and rural areas.

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

Analysis of the Spatial Distribution of Settlements Along the Canal in Handan Area

The canal and the settlements along its bank are mutually cause and effect.On the one hand,the excavation of the canal optimizes the economic environment of the coastal regions,and creates unique advantages in natural conditions,and the rise and fall of the settlements along the canal and the spatial forms are affected by the canal;and conversely,the settlements along the canal also drive the canal system to become more mature and accelerate the development of the canal.This paper sorted out the overall spatial characteristics and distribution factors of the settlements along the Grand Canal in Handan,and summarized various laws and directions presented by the generation and distribution of cultural heritage of such settlements,aiming to provide a new research perspective for the protection and utilization of settlements along the canal in Handan.

Extensive identification of landslide boundaries using remote sensing images and deep learning method

The frequent occurrence of extreme weather events has rendered numerous landslides to a global natural disaster issue.It is crucial to rapidly and accurately determine the boundaries of landslides for geohazards evaluation and emergency response.Therefore,the Skip Connection DeepLab neural network(SCDnn),a deep learning model based on 770 optical remote sensing images of landslide,is proposed to improve the accuracy of landslide boundary detection.The SCDnn model is optimized for the over-segmentation issue which occurs in conventional deep learning models when there is a significant degree of similarity between topographical geomorphic features.SCDnn exhibits notable improvements in landslide feature extraction and semantic segmentation by combining an enhanced Atrous Spatial Pyramid Convolutional Block(ASPC)with a coding structure that reduces model complexity.The experimental results demonstrate that SCDnn can identify landslide boundaries in 119 images with MIoU values between 0.8and 0.9;while 52 images with MIoU values exceeding 0.9,which exceeds the identification accuracy of existing techniques.This work can offer a novel technique for the automatic extensive identification of landslide boundaries in remote sensing images in addition to establishing the groundwork for future inve stigations and applications in related domains.

Metropolitan Housing Development in Urban Fringe Areas-A Case Study of Three Metropolitan Cities of South Africa: Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane

Purpose:The metropolitan cities of Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane play an important role in the economy of the Gauteng province in South Africa.The region constitutes to 22.4 percent of the total population of South Africa and has a strong presence and contributes in areas of manufacturing sector,financial and business services,retail and wholesale trade,etc.The rapid urban population,increase in the informal settlements and socio-economic opportunities has resulted in considerable urban sprawl in and around the urban fringe areas of these metropolitan cities.The urban fringe areas of these metros often come under the influence of rapid urbanization process and pressures.Coupled with the economical and potential land dynamics and lack of priority of spatial development guidelines,these areas attract rapid and haphazard development from communities and developers.Research Design/Methodology:This research is based on a qualitative approach through a comprehensive literature review that included content analysis of key documents on housing sector such as IDPs(Integrated Development Plans),Municipal Annual Reports,Growth Development Strategies,and among other sectoral documents on housing sector.Some of the key priority issues considered in the housing sector included:eradication of housing backlogs,spatial restructuring of housing,provision of choice in terms of location,tenure and housing typology.Findings:The current paper discusses the approaches of metropolitan housing development processes in three metropolitan cities of South Africa from Gauteng region,namely:Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.The paper discusses the existing housing sectoral scenario along with the fringe areas in three cities with focus on:formal and informal settlements,housing segregation and the backlogs,current institutional arrangements,role of public private participation,and scope for alternate mechanisms.The paper concludes in discussion on sustainable development options for housing development in urban fringe areas.

Research on the Green Planning in Rural Settlements of Hui Nationality in Central Ningxia

Targeted at the residence status in rural settlements of Hui people in central Ningxia Hui Nationality Autonomous Region, this research revealed that the construction of new countryside and the transformation of old countryside all have to be on the basis of present topography, landform, environment, social-economic level, education, religion, customs, living habits and so on. The primary goal of this research was to find a method of ecology, low energy consumption and sustainable development to bring the green planning implementation strategies, to provide guidance for sustainable planning in the rural settlements of Hui Nationality in central Ningxia.

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.

Settlement Control Technology of High Filled Soil-Rock Embankment in Alpine and High-Altitude Areas

China's infrastructure has gradually achieved large-scale development,and transportation construction has also shifted from east to west,transitioning from plains to mountainous areas.High-fill embankments of different sizes in mountainous areas are unavoidable,and the settlement of high-fill embankments is usually the most concerned issue in high-fill projects.According to the current research of highway projects,most of the high embankments in mountainous areas are soil-rock mixed embankments or rock-filled embankments,and their post-construction settlements are directly related to construction technology and the type of filler used.In this paper,the problems in the settlement control of earth-filled embankment and related factors are analyzed in detail.The settlement control technology of high-fill embankment in high-cold and high-altitude areas is also discussed,so as to ensure the overall quality of high-fill embankment.

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.

Observed deformation characteristics of a deep excavation for the spring area in Jinan,China

The observed deflections and internal forces of pile-anchor retaining excavation were studied in spring area in Jinan city of China. Based on field measured data, the ground surface settlement, deflection of retaining piles and wall, internal force analysis of concrete piles, axial anchoring forces, groundwater table, and the deformation of surround building and pipelines were investigated. The results indicates that the combining application of concrete piles, jet grouting columns and anchors support system can effectively control excavation-induced surface ground settlements. The field maximum lateral wall deflections are between 0.o2% and o.19% of the excavation depth due to the competitive site conditions. The bending moment-depth relationship curve is S-type. Groundwater leakage results in the sharp drop in groundwater level, which is part of the reasons for the adjacent building settlement. The axial anchoring forces of the upper layer of anchors increase gradually during the excavation, but those of the lower layer of anchors slightly reduced firstly and then tend to be stable during the excavation procedure. In comparison with the histories of excavation cases, the small lateral wall deflection in this study results from the favorable site condition and the relative rigidity of the retaining structure system.

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.