An overview of the resources and environment conditions and major geological problems in the Yangtze River economic zone, China

Focusing on the Yangtze River economic zone,the previous geological researches are systematically summarized,resources and environment conditions and major geological problems which are needing to be concerned in land planning and construction are studied.The results show that the resource conditions of cultivated land,shale gas,geotherm,lithium and so on are superior in the Yangtze River economic zone,and the resources and environment conditions are conducive to develop the modern agriculture,clean energy industry and strategic emerging industries.3×1013 m^2 farmlands without heavy metal pollution are concentrated;there are three national level shale gas exploration and development bases with explored reserves of 5.441×1011 m^3;geothermal availability is 2.4×109 t of standard coal each year,equivalent to 19% of the amount of coal in 2014;Asia's largest energy lithium metal ore deposit is found.In some parts of Yangtze River economic zone,there are some major geological problems such as active faults,karst collapse,ground subsidence,landslide-collapse-debris flow,affecting the river-crossing channels,high-speed railway,urban agglomeration and green ecological corridor planning and construction.Those problems should be concerned,and the relevant suggestions and countermeasures are put forward.Meanwhile,the ideas to further support the development of the Yangtze River economic zone are put forward.

Discovery and development suggestions of strontium-rich groundwater in Chibi City,China

1.Objectives Chibi City is located along the key development axis of the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed rail in Hubei Province,and is one of the key towns in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China.Karst ground subsidence,groundwater contamination,seasonal water shortage or water shortage are important environmental geological problems that restrict economic and social development in the region.Relying on the discovery of abundant geological heritage landscape resources of Chibi City(Ancient battlefield in the period of the Three Kingdoms,Yangloudong),geothermal resources(Wuhong Mountain hot spring),the discovery of natural mineral water rich in strontium and metasilicate provides more options for the development and utilization of geological resources in Chibi City.Strontium-rich mineral water can strengthen bones,protect hearts,soften blood vessels,and has the function of anti-oxidation,anti-aging and immunity enhancement.It is a kind of high-quality water that is very beneficial to human health.Therefore,identifying its distribution and potential is key to the development of strontium rich mineral water industry in Chibi City.

Relationship between groundwater cadmium and vicinity resident urine cadmium levels in the non-ferrous metal smelting area,China

Cadmium(Cd)has received widespread attention owing to its persistent toxicity and non-degradability.Cd in the human body is mainly absorbed from the external environment and is usually assessed using urinary Cd.Hunan Province is the heartland of the Chinese non-ferrous mining area,where several serious Cd pollution events have occurred,including high levels of Cd in the urine of residents.However,the environmental factors influencing high urinary Cd levels(UCLs)in nearby residents remain unclear.Therefore,211 nearby residents’UCLs and the corresponding sociological characteristics from nine groundwater samples in this area were analyzed using statistical analysis models.Groundwater Cd concentration ranged from 0.02 to 1.15μg/L,aligning with class III of the national standard;the range of UCL of nearby residents was 0.37–36.60μg/L,exceeding the national guideline of 0–2.5μg/L.Groundwater Cd levels were positively correlated with the UCL(P<0.001,correlation coefficient 95%CI=9.68,R^(2)=0.06).In addition,sociological characteristics,such as smoking status and education level,also affect UCL.All results indicate that local governments should strengthen the prevention and abatement of groundwater Cd pollution.This study is the first to systematically evaluate the relationship between groundwater Cd and UCL using internal and external environmental exposure data.These findings provide essential bases for relevant departments to reduce Cd exposure in regions where the heavy metal industry is globally prevalent.