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We present a Holocene record of pyrolytic nitrogen (N) composition from the Jinchuan peat bog within the Longgang Volcanic Field (LVF), NE China. Based on pyrolysis gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) analysis, N-compounds including acetamide, NHetero and NAro have been identified and quantified. Aromatic N-compounds (NAro, benzonitrile and benzamide) are mainly derived from phytoplankton and higher plants, and are resistant to microbial degradation. We propose ‘NHetero/NAro’ as a proxy based on microbial degradation, and has lower values between 10 and 5.8 ka BP, and higher values during the late Holocene. We suggest that temperature is main factor for NHetero/NAro, and sedimentary facies changed from floodplain to peat deposition, variation of effective precipitaion and pH value have limited influence on the performance of the proxy in Jinchuan. Low NHetero/NAro levels, combined with high levels of non-protein derived acetamide, indicate warmer conditions, and vice versa. NHetero/NAro is sensitive to temperature change, and follows a similar pattern to those of previous paleo-temperature time series derived from br-GDGT and long chain alkenones in this region. This Spectral analysis of the NHetero/NAro time series reveals significant periodicities of 103–105, 145 and 482–506 years, suggesting strong influences of solar radiation and monsoon intensity on temperature variations in NE China during the Holocene.

The safety of drinking and irrigation water is an issue of great concern worldwide. The rational development and utilization of water resources are vital for the economic and societal stability of Altay, an extremely arid area. In this study, three types of water samples (25 river waters, 10 groundwaters, 6 lake waters) were collected from main rivers and lakes in Altay and analyzed for electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH, major ions (i.e., K

As the demand for metal minerals grows, the number of mine tailings increases dramatically worldwide. Toxic heavy metals (HMs) in tailings tend to migrate into the environment and cause serious damage to the surroundings. Possible eco-friendly solutions for the in situ stabilization of HMs in tailing ponds are required to reduce their mobility. Leaching tests were performed with attapulgite, zeolite, and bentonite to determine which stabilizer is more efficient. As a result, attapulgite has more significant effect with certain dose on metal mine tailings than zeolite or bentonite, especially in a strongly acidic environment. In addition, an in situ stabilization experiment was performed by adding a stabilizer to a lead-zinc mine tailing pond with high-pressure rotary jet technology. The field experiment indicated that the concentrations of HMs in the leachate substantially decreased (30.5% for Cr, 43.1% for Cu, 87.8% for Zn, 82.9% for Cd, and 42.4% for Pb) after the HMs were stabilized by high-pressure rotary jet technology. A set of parameters for the rotary jet process was obtained when the in situ stabilization experiment was carried out.

The total diet study (TDS) is a significant part of food consumption-based health risk assessment. Since 1990, China has conducted five TDSs based on its unique food culture. In the present study, the health risks of residents from 20 regions of China are assessed by comparing the estimated daily intake (EDI) with adequate intake (AI) for Cr, and the estimated dietary exposure (EDE) with the reference dose (RfD) for seven toxic heavy metals (THMs), which are Al, As, inorganic arsenic (iAs), Cd, Hg, methyl mercury (MeHg), and Pb. The original data were sourced from the 5th China TDS. The data indicated the following: (1) Cereals and vegetables were the main dietary exposure sources of Al, As, iAs, Cd, and Cr; aquatic foods were the important dietary exposure source for As, Hg, and MeHg, especially for the residents from coastal regions. (2) Compared to other elements, Pb had more dietary exposure sources, which included cereals, vegetables, meats, and beverages and water. (3) Potatoes, beverages and water, and meats were the important sources of Al, iAs, and Cr. The results showed that the average level of the dietary intake of Cr was 11 times higher than the AI, as determined from the ratio of EDI to Al. Moreover, the hazard quotients (HQs) of Al, iAs, Cd, Hg, MeHg, and Pb were1, while that of As (6.49) was1; therefore, the EDIs of As and Cr by the residents of China are worthy of attention. Additionally, the discrepancies in the dietary exposures of HMs by the residents were due to the different HM contents among different types of foods, and the different dietary structures.

China, the largest developing country, is the world largest cement producer and the largest cement-consuming nation. Although China's cement output reached its peak in 2014, regions, i.e., Fujian and Yunnan provinces, were no peaking until 2016. At the same time, rare studies referred to China's cement consumption and CO2 emissions from the perspective of cement consumption at the provincial level. We developed the S-Logistic, polynomial model, and ARIMA model to study the peaking time of cement consumption at the provincial level, and we also projected China's cement consumption and CO2 emissions toward 2030. Meanwhile, the discrepancies of peaking time and cumulative cement consumption per capita (CCCPC) among provinces were also studied based on GDP per capita and urbanization rate (UR). The results are that the CCCPC respectively in the range of 22-34 ton, 18-25 ton, and 17-27 ton in the eastern, intermediate, and western zone when cement consumption reached its peak. We draw the following conclusions that the CCCPC in 2030 could reach ~ 43 ton and the projected cement consumption is ~ 1252.72 Mt, which accounts for 50% of that in 2017, and cement CO2 emissions are at the range of 488.19-510.90 MtCO2 in 2030. Furthermore, capacity replacement, controlling new capacity and eliminating backward capacity are significant of greenhouse gas emission reduction not only for China, but also for the global cement industry.

Heavy metal and metalloid (HMM) contamination of the water environment caused by mining activities is a great challenge to the global mining industry. HMMs released by various mines could easily enter the surrounding environment and pose serious threats to human health. Although the HMM pollution of surface water in various mines has been widely researched, relevant studies on the effects of mining activities on the surface water of hard-rock-type Li mines are scarce. Herein, a total of 81 water samples were collected from Jiajika mine for the first time, the largest hard-rock-type Li mine in Asia. The physical parameters and concentrations of HMMs and major ions of the samples were analyzed to evaluate the water quality and HMM level of surface water. Results showed that (1) most of the parameters analyzed adhered to the strictest guidelines of Chinese surface waters and the drinking water guidelines of WHO, except Mn, Pb, and As of a few samples from tailings-affected areas and Li-bearing areas; (2) mineral tailings obviously increased the pH and decreased the dissolved oxygen (DO) of the surrounding surface waters; (3) the highest concentrations of As (5.58 μg/L), Zn (81.8 μg/L), Ba (5.26 μg/L), and Co (0.33 μg/L) were observed around the tailings reservoir, whereas the highest concentrations of Cr (1.5 μg/L), Mn (380 μg/L), Pb (28.4 μg/L), and V (3.16 μg/L) were observed in Li-bearing areas; and (4) according to the statistical results, the concentrations of As, Cr, Ni, and V in surface water were mainly affected by mining activities, whereas those of Cu, Zn, Ba, Co, and Pb were dominantly affected by natural processes. These results provide useful information about water quality in relation to Li mining and can help the government make reasonable decisions regarding hard-rock-type Li resource exploitation activities.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from China are of global concern. As energy-, resource-intensive and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution emissions, China’s cement-related CO2 emissions and environmental effect attracted more and more attention reasonably. A multiple-year’s cement CO2 emissions were estimated in China based on actual and projected cement output and CO2 emission factor (EF) from the perspective of technological improvement for the period 1949–2050. The more than 100 years’ time scale was divided into three periods: 1949–1979, 1980–2015, and 2016–2050, which mainly based on China’s socio-economy and technological improvement (i.e., transformed cement kilns and popularized waste heat recovery, WHR). The bottom-up model was used for calculating cement-related CO2 emissions after analyzing processes of cement production, and we found China’s comprehensive cement CO2 EF (CCEF) was about 1694.31 kg CO2 per ton of cement in 1949, and declined to 737.01 kg CO2 per ton of cement in 2015. Furthermore, it is likely that China’s cement output is about 1617.50 Mt in 2050. Meanwhile, China’s CCEF is about 576.02 kg CO2 per ton of cement which based on likely realistic scenario (LRS), and CO2 emissions are about 931.71 Mt in 2050, which is about half lower than those in 2014. It is important for calculating China’s cement emissions in the society and rank around the world. For China’s cement CO2 emission reduction, the contribution of technological innovation or improvement (TII) was undeniable, but the degree of CO2 reduction was limited, especially when the technological diffusion rate was close to saturation. The Chinese government is ambitious in controlling cement-related CO2 emissions and should start with controlling cement capacity, utilization of alternative raw materials (ARMs) and alternative fuels (AFs), and establishing a sound carbon trading market.

Cement industry is a large emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), taking up 5–8% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. China is the largest developing country in the world. With the fast urbanization rate, economic growth and rapid development of industry, China's cement production is soaring year by year. Also, cement CO2 emissions increased year by year and aroused the rising attention. However, the historical province- and nation-level cement production situations, driving forces of cement output and/or demand based on rapid economic growth and urbanization rate, the peak of cement consumption and China's cement demand projection and CO2 emissions through 2030 when China should fulfill the international commitments were not clear. The present study summarized the characteristics of China's cement production and CO2 emissions during 2001–2015, projected cement CO2 emission scenarios based on diffusion of alternative materials and technical innovation toward 2030. The following results were summarized, clinker- and cement- CO2 emission factors (EFs) were declining year by year with the technical innovation. CO2 emissions increased with the increase of cement output year by year. The discrepancies of CO2 emissions from different researches were becoming large year by year, and the biggest difference of CO2 emissions reached 49% in 2015. Accordingly, we recommended active EFs for the calculation of cement CO2 emissions. Cement production situation varies greatly with province, as manifested in unbalanced NSP technology and clinker-to-cement ratio, and energy consumption, which was primarily attributed to the unbalanced resource reserves and economic development. There is still sufficient room for CO2 reduction in China's cement industry, and the use of alternative material was better than technical innovation in such reduction. The optimal emissions in 2030 will be 1490 Mt CO2. And China's cement consumption will be stable in 2030, cumulative cement consumption per capita will be peaked at 23394 kg, and UR will reach 70.1%.

A novel biochar was prepared by loading birnessite to improve its capability to simultaneously adsorb As(III), As(V), and Cd(II) in water and soil. Layer sheet–structured birnessite was successfully loaded onto the biochar surface with increased functional groups. SEM, XRD, and FTIR combining with XPS analysis were utilized to characterize birnessite-loaded biochar and its adsorption mechanisms for As and Cd(II). The saturated adsorption capabilities of the birnessite-loaded biochar (BRB) for As(III), As(V), and Cd(II) were as large as 3543, 2412, and 9068 mg/kg (calculated by Langmuir isotherm model), much higher than for the corresponding non-loaded biochar (no adsorption of As, 4335 mg/kg for Cd). Adsorption of Cd and As onto BRB was controlled by multi mechanisms; Cd(II) appeared to coordinate to vacant sites of birnessite, while As formed surface complex with functional groups. Furthermore, BRB showed higher abilities for co-adsorption of As(III) and Cd or As(V) and Cd, which may be due to the formation of Cd3(AsO4)2 surface precipitate as well as synergistic reaction between anions and cations. After conditioning to soil, BRB showed potential for Cd and As remediation under both flooded and unflooded conditions. These results suggested that BRB can be used as an effective sorbent for simultaneous immobilization of heavy metals, especially As and Cd, in environmental and agricultural systems.

China is the largest cement producer and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter in the world. The country has attracted too much attention in calculating and comparing its CO2 emissions. However, as the second largest CO2 emitter after the fire power industry, China’s long-term cement demand and cement-related CO2 emission projections were not fully studied. The Chinese government, however, committed that by 2020 and 2030, China’s per capita GDP of CO2 emissions would be lower than that in 2005 by 40–45% and 60–65%, respectively. In this paper, China’s cement demand in 2030 was projected based on the population size, urbanization rate, fixed assets investment, and per capita GDP. Furthermore, decoupling study in China’s cement industry was also involved based on the GDP and CO2 emissions during 2001–2015. We also used the diffusion rate of 12 types of CO2 reduction measures and two changed scenarios of clinker-to-cement ratio, to project the cement CO2 emission factors toward 2030 after determining the accounting scope. Meanwhile, the CO2 emissions of China’s cement industry through 2030 were projected naturally. The results showed that China’s cement output in 2030 will be approximately 2000, 1650, and 937 Mt. based on the fixed assets investment, urbanization rate, and per capita GDP respectively. The projected two scenarios cement CO2 emission factors were resp. 407.83 and 390.02 kg CO2/t of cement which were 42.6 and 45.1% lower than that in 2005. The cement CO2 emissions were projected to be in the range of 366 to 818 Mt. in 2030. Additionally, China’s total cement output value has been decoupling from cement CO2 emissions from 2012, which is mainly attributed to eliminating backward capacity, reducing excess capacity or the declining cement output. And decoupling economic from China’s cement CO2 emissions may change to be strong or weak decoupling in the near future. As cement production is one of the factors effecting cement CO2 emissions, the most important measure for controlling cement CO2 emissions is a reasonable capacity utilization rate. It is therefore important to control the growth of cement CO2 emissions by regulating the capacity utilization rate within a reasonable range. Eliminating backward capacity, removing excess capacity, controlling new capacity, staggered production, and the “going global” of cement equipment can have great impacts in controlling the total amount of cement output and CO2 emissions.

The surveys of terrestrial gamma dose rate, radon concentration indoor and in water and specific activity of radionuclides of soil were carried out in 14 villages and a town in Xiangshan uranium deposit and surrounding area, Jiangxi province, Eastern China, in 2017-2018, using a scintillator dosemeter, an ionization chamber and a high-purity germanium gamma spectrometer to study radiation status in these places after remediation. A radioactive hot spot was discovered in a village near the mining office, where specific activity of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 137Cs of soil was as high as 1433 ± 76 Bq/kg, 1210 ± 62 Bq/kg, 236 ± 13 Bq/kg and 17 ± 1.1 Bq/kg, respectively. The dose rate on a waste rock heap was about 2423 nGy/h. Approximately 50% of the houses in a village near the uranium mining site had radon concentrations that exceeded 160 Bq/m3. There was a significant positive correlation between indoor radon concentration and outdoor gamma dose rate (R2 = 0.7876). The abnormal radon concentration was observed in a rising spring sample providing residents with tap water up to 127.1 Bq/l. Four tap water samples and three of five well water samples exceeded the limit of radon concentration of drinking water in China (11.1 Bq/l). The mean annual effective doses from gamma dose rate data were 0.86 mSv/y and 1.13 mSv/y for indoor radon. The study shows that there are some radioactively contaminated places surrounding the Xiangshan uranium mine. The local outdoor dose rate averages may be used to estimate local indoor radon concentrations.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important proxies for environmental evaluation. Here we present the analytical results on sixteen PAHs from 139 surface sediment samples and a sediment core (100 cm) from the coastal zone of three typical coastal cities of Jiangsu province in China. Our results suggest that the PAHs concentrations in the coastal area of Yancheng are markedly higher than those reported from sediments in other parts of China and elsewhere in the world. The PAHs pollutants in the study area originated from mixed pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. However, petroleum contaminant was the most likely sources of PAHs in the coastal area of Jiangsu province. The PAHs pollution show an increase from the deeper to shallower layers of the sediments. The flux rate rapidly increased after the 1980s, and correlate with the rapid development of China in the fields of economy, energy consumption and the population.

Geochemical backgrounds of trace elements can be described quantitatively on the bulk chemistry of the sample. Three weathering profiles developed over granite, granodiorite, and basalt respectively in Jiaodong peninsula, China are selected far from any ore-deposit areas to investigate the quantitative changes in gold distribution during weathering of barren parent rocks. Samples are collected from the topsoil downward to its parent rock in each in situ weathering profile. Contents of 12 major oxides, LoI (loss on ignition), and Au in each sample are analyzed. From parent rocks to their top soils in the in situ weathering profiles, three features are illustrated clearly. The first is that contents of Au increase gradually which indicates the enrichment behavior of Au due to rock weathering, the second is that values of WIG decrease gradually which reflects the increasing weathering degree, and the third is that ratios of Al2O3/Ti and K2O/SiO2 show no clear variations in each profile but are remarkable different among profiles developed over different parent rocks. According to the documented equation form between contents of trace elements and their weathering indices (WIG, Al2O3/Ti, and K2O/SiO2), an empirical equation is regressed on 50 samples from the weathering profiles: lg Au = 1.79 ∗ 1.2 − WIG / 100 + 0.37 ∗ lg Al 2 O 3 / Ti − 0.922 ∗ lg K 2 O / SiO 2 − 1.25 where the content unit of Au is ng/g, the content unit of Al2O3, K2O, SiO2 is weight %, and the unit of Ti is μg/g. WIG ranges from ca. 44 to 101, Al2O3/Ti varies from ca. 0.001 to 0.035, and K2O/SiO2 varies from ca. 0.02 to 0.09 in the regression data. The empirical equation can be used to describe gold geochemical backgrounds and will have an important potential application on geochemical exploration.

To comprehensively study the multielement and Li isotope geochemistry at the largest hard rock-type lithium (Li) mine in Asia, a large number of root and shoot (77 sets and 154 pieces) samples of the dominant plants were collected at the Jiajika mine for the first time. The concentrations of 37 trace elements (Li, Be, Nb, Ta, Rb, Cs, Sr, Zr, Hf, Sn, U, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, Co, Ni, Mo, W, Y, and La series without Pm) in 154 plant samples were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Furthermore, Li isotopic compositions were determined for 9 groups of soil-root-shoot samples via multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). The results showed that 1) the dominant plants from mining-related areas had markedly higher mineralization-related element (Li, Be, Nb, Ta, Rb, Cs, Sr, Zr, Hf, Co, Ni, Mo, W, Sn, and U) and rare earth element (REE) (except for Tm and Lu) concentrations than those from non-mining-activity areas; 2) the Cr concentrations of 60 shoot samples exceeded the Chinese hygienic standard for pasture forage by 1.054–19.74 times; 3) based on the BTF (biological translocation factor) values of trace elements, the translocation of trace elements, excluding Ta, Rb, Cs, Sr, Zr, and Cd, was restrained in tailing-affected areas. Furthermore, the excessive accumulation of 31 trace elements (except for Ta, Cs, Sn, U, Cd, and Zn) in the roots could also inhibit the root-shoot translocation of corresponding trace elements; and 4) the δ7Li ranges of the roots, shoots, and corresponding soils of the dominant plants at the Jiajika mine were approximately −6.12 to −0.84‰, approximately −4.84 to 2.02‰, and approximately −5.34 to 3.42‰, respectively. Compared with the roots, the shoots of rhododendron plants showed obvious enrichment in 7Li. The results of this study have some implications: high concentrations of 15 mineralization-related elements and 13 REEs in plants could be regarded as plant indicators of rare metal resources; the Cr concentrations in plants should be given more attention and closely monitored in the future to ensure forage safety; and the mechanism of Li isotope fractionation in plants may be controlled by ambient temperature, but further study and verification are needed.

We report the finding of the Wolitu Pb-Zn deposit in Inner Mongolia, China, through a series of geochemical surveys. The Wolitu area, located in the loess-cover area in the Hure Banner, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia, and neighboring the Horqin Sandy Land to the north, had no previous history of Pb-Zn mining or record of Pb-Zn mineralization. Our study identified a large Pb-Zn anomaly with potential zones of mineralization by stream sediment survey. Random rock sampling reveals limonitization at sporadic outcrops in the gullies. The high concentrations of Pb in the residual debris provided guidelines to fix the position for exploratory trench. Oxidized concealed orebodies were identified by trenching. Blind orebodies in veins hosted within the structural zone between slates and marbles of the upper Carboniferous Shizuizi Formation and the Permian granite were discovered by drilling. It is computed that the ore reserve may reach up to 540,000 tones with Pb grade of 1.27% and Zn of 1.9%. This case study is an excellent example for identifying potential polymetallic deposits in loess covered terrains using geochemical exploration.

Cadmium (Cd), one of the harmful heavy metals, and its accumulation or pollution might cause itai-itai disease. In this study, we investigated the dietary exposure of Cd among residents in Northeast China (including Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces) and also compared the health risks in adult males in terms of dietary intake. Cd contents in 12 categories of foods were derived from original data from the 5th China Total Diet Study (TDS). The following results were obtained in this study: (i) dietary exposure levels of Cd at the margin of safety (MOS) were 4.55, 1.82, and 2.85 in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, respectively; (ii) the primary dietary sources of Cd included cereals, legumes, potatoes, meat, aquatic products, and vegetables; (iii) Cd contents in the same food category from different regions were not significantly different from the limit of China’s National Standards (LCNSs); (iv) dietary exposure of Cd would not have a detrimental effect on the health of residents in Northeast China; (v) we recommend the government to take precedence of the supervision and spot-checking of cereals, legume-nuts, potatoes, meat, aquatic products, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages because of the higher dietary consumption than others; (vi) 99.99% of the Cd content in cereals, legumes, vegetables, meat, and aquatic products sold in Northeast China was less than the LCNSs at the present situation; and (vii) the harmful effects of Cd to human beings are associated with the Cd content in foods and the consumption of such foods.

N -nitrosamines are trace organic contaminants of environmental concern when present in groundwater and river water due to their potent carcinogenicity. Therefore, N -nitrosamine analysis is increasingly in demand. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), both with electron ionization (EI), were compared for analysis of nine N -nitrosamines extracted from environmental water matrices. A total of 20 fishpond water, river water, and groundwater samples from Sihui and Shunde, China were collected for a survey of N -nitrosamine concentrations in real water samples. Various solid-phase extraction (SPE) conditions and GC conditions were first examined for the pre-concentration and separation steps. The analysis of N -nitrosamines in environmental waters demonstrated that their quantification with GC-MS poses a challenge due to the occurrence of co-eluting interferences. Conversely, the use of GC-MS/MS increased selectivity because of the fragmentation generated from precursor ions in the ‘multiple reaction monitoring’ (MRM) mode, which is expected to extract target analytes from the environmental water matrix. Thus, the high performance of GC-MS/MS with EI was used to quantify nine N -nitrosamines in environmental waters with detection limits of 1.1–3.1 ng L −1 . N -nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) concentrations were in the range of N.D. to 258 ng L −1 . Furthermore, other N -nitrosamines, except N -nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N -nitroso-di- n -propylamine (NDPA) and N -nitrosopiperidine (NPIP), were also detected. Our findings suggest that GC-MS/MS with EI would be widely applicable in identifying N -nitrosamines in environmental waters and can be used for routine monitoring of these chemicals.

Measuring and characterizing airborne particulate matter (PM) is an important research area because PM can lead to impacts on health and to visibility reduction, material damage and groundwater pollution. In regard to road dust, suspension and re-suspension and the contribution of non-exhaust PM to total traffic emissions are expected to increase as a result of predicted climate scenarios. European environmental regulations have been enforced to reduce exhaust particle emissions from road traffic, but little attention has been paid to reducing non-exhaust coarse particle emissions due to traffic. Therefore, a monitoring program for coarse PM has been initiated in early 2013 to assess the predicted increase in the abundance of non-exhaust particles. Particle sampling was performed with the passive-sampler technique Sigma-2. The subsequent single-particle analysis allows for characterization of individual particles, determination of PM size distribution, and calculation of PM mass concentrations. Two motorways near Cologne (Koln), Germany were selected as sampling sites, and the experimental setup in the field was realized with a so-called twin-site method. The present study reports single-particle analysis data for samples collected between May 31, 2013 and May 30, 2014. Coarse PM, generated through multi-source mechanisms, consists of, e.g., tire-wear, soot aggregates, and mineral dust. The highest mass concentration occurs at both motorways in spring, and the observed PM mainly contains traffic-abrasion particles. The field measurements show that the minimum PM concentration was found in the 5 to 12°C temperature range, whereas the maximum concentration was observed in both the –5 to 5°C and the 12 to 24°C ranges, in agreement with previous laboratory measurements. Correlation between super-coarse (dp 10–80 µm, geometric equivalent diameter) PM concentration and precipitation displays a significant increase in concentration with decreasing number of precipitation events (dry weather periods).

The Guangdong province of China contains the most clearly described high-incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) areas in the world. The geographical heterogeneity of cancer incidence in the region suggests that many carcinogenic risk factors might be present in the regional geochemical environment. This paper presents the concentrations of a wide range of known carcinogens in two high cancer incidence areas in Guangdong and compared them to a low cancer incidence area in the same province. N-Nitrosamines, NO3−, NO2−, and ammonium were detected in groundwater, surface water, and drinking-water. The concentrations of the 7 trace metal and metalloid elements As, Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg were determined in surface soil samples and all water samples. The results show that, compared with the guidelines or limit values for drinking-water quality in the world, the high cancer incidence areas have hazardous high levels of N-nitrodimethlyamine (NDMA) in all kinds of water. Oppositely, the low cancer incidence area has a safe low level of NDMA in water bodies. The levels of NO3−, NO2−, and ammonium in water have the same character, although they have different expression between the two high-risk areas. The distribution of the 7 tested trace elements in surface soil has no significant correlation with cancer incidence. On the other hand, high concentrations of carcinogenic N-Nitrosamines in drinking-water and natural water bodies were identified for the first time in the high NPC and HCC incidence area.

Archean tectonic history of the North China Craton (NCC) involved complex processes of amalgamation of microcontinents along multiple subduction zones prior to the consolidation of the major crustal blocks and their assembly into unified cratonic architecture. Here we report a suite of granitoids, diabase, metabasalts, volcanic tuff, banded iron formations and quartzite from the Yishui Complex along the southern margin of the Jiaoliao microblock within the Eastern Block of the NCC. The geochemical features of the magmatic suite are consistent with calc-alkaline magmatism in a convergent margin setting. In tectonic discrimination diagrams, the mafic suite shows variable IAB, MORB and OIB affinities typical of rocks formed in an arc-related subduction environment. Zircon grains in most of the rocks from Yishui Complex display core–rim texture with the cores showing magmatic crystallization and the narrow structureless rims corresponding to metamorphic overgrowth. The 207Pb/206Pb ages of magmatic zircons show 2504 ± 19 Ma for the volcanic tuff, 2581 ± 21 Ma for the granitoid, 2501 ± 19 Ma for the metavolcanics, 2537 ± 38 Ma for the pyroxenite, and 2506 ± 13 Ma for the diabase. Metamorphism is constrained from the 2451 ± 18 Ma and 2466 ± 23 Ma age groups in the metavolcanics and (meta-) pyroxenites. Zircons from BIF show multiple population with the oldest showing a spot age of 2503 Ma, followed by a number of distinct groups of Paleoproterozoic zircons corresponding to later thermal events. The oldest population of magmatic zircons from the quartzite shows 207Pb/206Pb mean age of 2495 ± 24 Ma. The dominantly positive eHf(t) values of the magmatic zircons from the Yishui suite are broadly consistent with a depleted mantle source with only minor input of crustal components. Their Hf crustal residence ages (TDMC) range from 2586 to 3181 Ma and Hf depleted mantle model ages (TDM) are in the range of 2548–2927 Ma. The data indicate that magma production involved Meso- to Neoarchean juvenile sources within a continental arc setting, suggesting the Jiaoliao microblock as one of the ancient continental nuclei in the NCC. We trace the continuity of a Neoarchean subduction system along the western and southern margins of the Jiaoliao microblock with convergence of the Qianhuai and Xuhuai microblocks towards the Jiaoliao microblock with subduction–accretion–collision during the Archean–Proterozoic transition.

This study was designed to investigate the seasonal characteristics and apportion the sources of organic carbon during non-haze days (

Food safety has always attracted considerable attention in Beijing, the capital of China; however, very few studies have investigated the heavy metal (HM) pollution, dietary exposure, and health risk assessment of the high dietary structure of cereals, legumes, and their products (CLPs). Herein, we collected seven types of CLP samples, i.e., rice, wheat flour, dried noodles, corn porridge, millet, mung bean, and soybean from the 16 districts of Beijing, and used atomic spectrometry to detect the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn in the CLP samples. Further, we evaluated the contamination degree of Cd, Cr, and Pb in the CLP samples using the Nemerow pollution index method (NPIM). Finally, we assessed the dietary exposure and health risk based on the HM contents and dietary structure of the Beijing residents. The results denoted that the CLPs sold in Beijing were safe and that the daily exposure doses (DEDs) of Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn were 0.0772, 0.2251, 0.3350 μg kg·d−1, 0.0119, 0.0417, 0.0367, and 0.0505 mg kg·d−1, respectively. The hazard quotients (HQs) of the aforementioned HMs were 0.08, 0.08, 0.24, 0.32, 0.06, 0.22, and 0.17, respectively. The integrated hazard index (HI) was greater than 1 but less than 10, indicating that the long-term consumption of these CLP samples may cause non-carcinogenic adverse effects to the Beijing residents. Furthermore, this study denoted that Cr, Mn, and Cu may damage the Beijing residents’ health through dietary consumption compared with the remaining HMs. We believe that providing quick response (QR) code labels on a commodity containing information about the supplier, producer, and vendor would reduce China’s future food safety issues.

China is the largest cement producer and carbon dioxide (CO

Cadmium (Cd) is classified as a Group-1 human carcinogen and rice consumption constitutes a major source of dietary intake of Cd for populations whose staple food is rice. Straw incorporation is widely performed in Cd-contaminated paddy fields, which may significantly affect the bioavailability of Cd in soil and the distribution of Cd in rice plants, consequently altering Cd accumulation in rice grains. In this study, both pot and field trials were conducted to investigate the effects of different amounts of straw incorporation (0.0%, 1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0%) on Cd sub-cellular distribution in rice plants and Cd accumulation in rice grains. The results showed that Cd was mainly sequestered in cell wall, accounting for 86%-95% and 30%-51% of total cadmium in root and shoot cells, respectively. In shoot cells, about 35%-61% of Cd was distributed in cellular soluble fractions. When rice straw was incorporated at 1.0% and 2.5% levels, Cd sequestration in the cell wall significantly increased and Cd translocation from roots to shoots significantly decreased. However, when rice straw was incorporated at the 5% level, Cd sequestration in root cell walls significantly decreased and Cd translocation from roots to shoots significantly increased at the tillering stage. At the filling stage, 5% rice straw incorporation still significantly increased Cd sequestration in root cell walls and Cd translocation from roots to shoots did not significantly change. The rice straw and rape straw used for the field trail contained high concentrations of Cd (0.49 and 0.67 mg·kg

Atmospheric particulate mercury (HgP) was studied before, during, and after the Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China, in August 2008 in order to investigate the efficiency of the emission control measures implemented by the Chinese Government. These source control measures comprised traffic reductions, increase in public transportation, planting of vegetation, establishment of parks, building freeze at construction sites, cleaner production techniques for industries and industry closures in Beijing and also in the surrounding areas. Strictest measures including the “odd-even ban” to halve the vehicle volume were enforced from the 20th of July to the 20th of September 2008. The Olympic period provided the unique opportunity to investigate the efficiency of these comprehensive actions implemented in order to reduce air pollution on a large scale. Therefore, the sampling period covered summer (August, September) and winter (December and January) samples over several years from December 2005 to September 2013. Average HgP concentrations in total suspended particulates (TSP) sampled in August 2008 were 81 ± 39 pg/m3 while TSP mass concentrations were 93 ± 49 μg/m3. This equals a reduction by about 63% for TSP mass and 65% for HgP, respectively, compared to the previous two years demonstrating the short-term success of the measures. However, after the Olympic Games, HgP concentrations increased again to pre-Olympic levels in August 2009 while values in August 2010 decreased again by 30%. Moreover, winter samples, which were 2- to 11-fold higher than corresponding August values, showed decreasing concentrations over the years indicating a long-term improvement of HgP pollution in Beijing. However, regarding adverse health effects, comparisons with soil guideline values and studies from other cities highlighted that HgP concentrations in TSP remained high in Beijing despite respective control measures. Consequently, future mitigation measures need to be tailored more specifically to further reduce HgP concentrations in Beijing.

Beijing is well known as a megacity facing severe atmospheric pollution problems. One very important kind of pollution is the high amount of particles in Beijing's atmosphere. Numerous studies investigated the dynamics of fine particles smaller 10 μm. Less information is available on the coarse particle fraction larger 10 μm, although geogenic dusts, which often are composed by those coarser particles, frequently affect the air quality in Beijing. Therefore, systematic sampling and analysis of size fractionated particulate matter between 2.5 and 80 μm was performed in Beijing from April 2005 till October 2009. Atmospheric particles were collected in the North-West of Beijing using a cost-effective passive sampling method called Sigma-2. Altogether, 200 weeks could be analysed and assessed. Concentrations and size distribution of atmospheric coarse particles were determined by automated microscopic single particle analysis. Seasonal variability of the total mass of different size fractions was identified as follows: spring > winter > autumn > summer. High concentrations of transparent mineral particles indicate the activity of geogenic sources in spring and winter time, due to asian dust events and resuspension of soil from local bare land during dry and windy periods. The percentage of opaque particle components differs seasonally with relatively high values in winter, confirming combustion of fossil fuels for heating purposes as a predominant pollution source in this season. The influence of meteorological conditions on concentrations and size distribution of atmospheric particulate matter between 2.5 and 80 μm is demonstrated for the whole sampling period. Lowest pollution by coarse aerosols occurred during the period of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. A general trend of decreasing total coarse particle mass concentrations was observed. Due to frequently observed high total coarse particle mass concentrations of several 100 μg·m−³ it is strongly recommended to enhance research and observation regarding these air pollutants to gain a better understanding of their dynamics, health effects, well being impacts on Beijing inhabitants and the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

A field experiment was established to support the hypothesis that application of different silicon (Si) fertilizers can simultaneously reduce cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) concentration in rice grain. The "semi-finished product of Si-potash fertilizer" treatment at the high application of 9000 kg/ha (NP+S-KSi9000) significantly reduced the As concentration in rice grain by up to 20.1%, compared with the control. Si fertilization reduces the Cd concentration in rice considerably more than the As concentration. All Si fertilizers apart from sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) exhibited a high ability to reduce Cd concentration in rice grain. The Si-calcium (CaSi) fertilizer is the most effective in the mitigation of Cd concentration in rice grain. The CaSi fertilizer applied at 9000 kg/ha (NPK+CaSi9000) and 900 kg/ha (NPK+CaSi900) reduced the Cd concentration in rice grain about 71.5 and 48.0%, respectively, while the Si-potash fertilizer at 900 kg/ha (NP+KSi900), the semi-finished product of Si-potash fertilizer at both 900 kg/ha (NP+S-KSi900) and 9000 kg/ha (NP+S-KSi9000), and the rice straw (NPK+RS) treatments reduced the Cd concentration in rice grain about 42, 26.5, 40.7, and 23.1%, respectively. The results of this investigation demonstrated the potential effects of Si fertilizers in reducing Cd and As concentrations in rice grain.

Particulate mercury (HgP) concentrations in weekly aerosol samples (PM2.5 and TSP) from Beijing, China, were measured for a complete year. In addition, spatial differences were measured for a shorter time period at four different sites and potential source materials were analyzed. Average HgP concentrations in PM2.5 samples were 0.26 ng/m3 for day-time PM2.5, 0.28 ng/m3 for night-time PM2.5, and 0.57 ng/m3 for TSP samples, respectively. Coal combustion was identified as the major source of HgP in Beijing. Other sources included industrial activities as well as red color on historical buildings as a minor contribution. Spatial differences were pronounced with highest concentrations in the inner city (inside the 3rd ring road). The results further showed a strong seasonality with highest concentrations in winter and lowest in summer due to local meteorological conditions (precipitation in summer and stagnant conditions and low mixing layer height in winter) as well as seasonal sources, such as coal combustion for heating purposes. Day–night differences also showed a seasonal pattern with higher night-time concentrations during summer and higher day-time concentrations during winter. Compared to other cities worldwide, the HgP concentrations in Beijing were alarmingly high, suggesting that airborne particulate Hg should be the focus of future monitoring activities and mitigation measures.

Metals are generally classified into essential metals groups. Essential metals include copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), and nonessential metals include cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) etc. However, excessive intake of metals even essential metals would have detrimental effect on the body. In this study, seven potential toxic elements (PTEs) (i.e., Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) and their distribution characteristics in the foods were analyzed as well as the combination of correlation analysis, factor analysis and cluster analysis were constructed. Meanwhile, combined with the dietary consumption data from the Fifth China Total Diet Study (FCTDS), the dietary exposure of PTEs were analyzed and a consequent safety risk assessment was conducted. The main results are as follows: (1) PTE contents in simply-processed samples were found to be lower than those in the highly-processed samples. (2) The average daily intake of the PTEs were about 12.26 (Cd), 153.17 (Cr), 25.16 (Pb) μg/d, 1.90 (Cu), 20.19 (Fe), 7.12 (Mn) and 12.69 (Zn) mg/d, respectively. (3) The total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) was 2.88, which was lower than 10. Therefore, the long-term consumption of these foods combined with the current dietary structure would not have a detrimental effect on the health of residents in Beijing.

Gas consumption exist great regional difference, price and income are the main factors affecting consumption .Global gas consumption has slow growth, but the price in 2008 there was a twist. We analyze the global natural gas consumption and price points using the data from the BP. The level of economic development and natural gas reserves determine the differences in the levels of consumption. In order to eliminate the impact per unit, the regression model uses the data in the log. This paper studied the influence factors of natural gas consumption in North America using of consumer income elasticity and price elasticity. The results show that the gas consumption have a low income elasticity and price elasticity is higher .Law of "S" shape can explain the income elasticity is low, the reason is that the stage of economic development. Price elasticity is higher lies in the different between Canada and the United States, the United States is a net importer of natural gas, and Canada is a net exporter. Keywords: Consumption Flexibility; Natural Gas Demand; income; price

Air quality is of major concern for cities and megacities in particular. In Beijing, China, numerous anthropogenic and geogenic sources contribute to an overall high level of air pollution. However, particle concentration and composition vary strongly even within short time intervals. Within this study, mass and element, as well as black carbon (BC) concentrations of PM 10 (particulate matter ≤ 10 μm) and PM 2.5 (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm) samples from Beijing in spring 2007 were investigated. Results of 12-hourly samples showed that particles originated from different geogenic and anthropogenic sources, including traffic and coal combustion as two major anthropogenic sources. The main sources were quite similar for both particle size classes. Furthermore, a particle mass reduction during weekends was observed for both PM 10 and PM 2.5 samples. PM 10 concentrations were on average 45% lower while PM 2.5 concentrations were 41% lower than their respective values during weekdays. During weekends PM 10 concentrations of elements from anthropogenic sources were even lower than the weekday concentrations of PM 2.5 for the same elements. This observation holds for many toxic elements predominantly from anthropogenic sources, such as As, Cd, Sn, Sb, and Pb.

The total element concentration and the chemical fractionation of 18 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Ti, V, Zn) in total suspended particulate matter (TSP) from Beijing, China, were studied for a period of three years (July 2005–May 2008, n = 35). Additionally, particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) was included in the study (February 2005–September 2007, n = 32). A chemical sequential extraction scheme according to Fernandez Espinosa et al. (2002) was applied to assess the speciation and potential mobility of the elements. Four different fractions were distinguished, which can be classified as: (f1) water-extractable, (f2) bound to carbonates, oxides and reducible metals, (f3) bound to organic matter, oxidisable and sulfidic metals, and (f4) residual fraction. The chemical speciation results illustrated that potential toxic metals like Zn (41%), Cd (40%), Mn (32%), and As (29%) were detectable to a high percentage in the water-soluble fraction (f1) of TSP samples and consequently are especially harmful to the environment and exposed people. Lead and Cu in TSP samples showed highest extractability in fraction f2 (53% and 23%, respectively) and can also be considered as mobile with a negative impact on the environment and the human health. Fine particles (PM 2.5 ) showed comparable results with sometimes higher percentages in the highly mobile fraction f1, for example for As (52%). Anthropogenic sources, such as industry and traffic, played an important role for overall atmospheric pollution throughout the year. Additionally, these more or less constant emissions were superimposed by seasonal sources, especially coal combustion in winter and geogenic dust in spring. Coal combustion proved to be a source especially relevant for the toxic and mobile elements Cd, As and Pb. The study illustrated that special attention has to be taken to the mentioned elements and their related sources for health impact assessments and when planning mitigation measures for urban atmospheric pollution and for providing a sustainable development of cities and megacities.

The period of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing can be considered as a unique opportunity to study the influences of emission reduction measures on air quality improvement. Within this study atmospheric particles of different size classes (2.5 to 80 μm) were investigated before, during, and after the Olympic Games period in order to observe and assess the success of short-term measures to mitigate extreme urban aerosol pollution and also to investigate, which particle size classes were reduced most effectively. Furthermore, black carbon (BC) concentrations in fine particles (PM(2.5)) during the source control period were compared to those of the previous years in order to investigate the decrease of combustion-derived aerosols. It is shown that besides the implemented mitigation measures precipitation decisively contributed to a considerable decrease of particulate air pollution in Beijing compared to the respective concentrations during the time directly before and after the Olympic Games, and also compared to average August concentrations during the previous years and the following year 2009. Particles of the fine fraction of the coarse mode (2.5 to 5 μm), which have a residence time in the order of several days and which, therefore, are typically transported over long distances from outside of Beijing, were less efficiently reduced than coarser particles. This indicates that long-range transport of atmospheric particles is difficult to control and that presumably the established mitigation area was not large enough to also reduce the fine fraction of the coarse mode more efficiently. Furthermore, the study showed that coarse geogenic particles, which originated to a high percentage from construction sites and resuspension processes due to traffic seemed to be reduced most efficiently during the Olympic Games period.

Nine years of sampling and analyses of fine particles (PM2.5) were performed in Beijing from 2005 to 2013. Twenty-seven chemical elements and black carbon (BC) in PM2.5 were analyzed in order to study chemical characteristics and temporal distribution of Beijing aerosols. Principle component analysis defined different types of elemental sources, based on which, the influences of a variety of anthropogenic activities including governmental intervention measures and natural sources on air quality were evaluated. For the first time, Ga is used as a tracer element for heating activities mainly using coal in Beijing, due to its correlation with BC and coal combustion, as well as its concentration variation between the heating- and non-heating periods. The traffic restrictions effectively reduced emissions of relevant heavy metals such as As, Cd, Sn and Sb. The expected long-term effectiveness of the steel smelters relocation was not observed due to the nearby relocation with increased capacity. Firework display during every Chinese spring festival season and special events such as the Olympic Games resulted in several times higher concentrations of K, Sr and Ba than other days and thus they were proposed as tracers for firework display. The impacts of all these factors were quantified and evaluated. Sand dust or dust storms induced higher concentrations of geogenic elements in PM2.5 compared to non-dust days. Sustainable mitigation measures, such as traffic restrictions, are necessary to be continued and improved to obtain more "blue sky" days in the future.

Black carbon (BC) and PM2.5 were studied for nine years from 2005 to 2013 in the Beijing urban area. The overall weekly average mass concentrations of BC and PM2.5 were 4.3 and 66.8 μg/m³. PM2.5 annual means of the nine years are around 2 times of the standard (GB3095-2012) in China, and are 5-7 times higher than the WHO standard. The Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 was a milestone to mitigate aerosol pollution. Temporal distribution of BC shows a distinct declining trend, and annual mean mass concentrations of PM2.5 after 2008 were lower than those before 2008 but increased from 2011 to 2013. Wind rose plots show that high BC concentrations are usually associated with low wind speed of northeastern or southwestern winds, generally causing poor visibility. Governmental mitigation measures such as traffic restriction despite increased motor vehicle numbers and gasoline consumption and industry relocation with declining consumption of coal and coke were successful in reducing BC emissions. Annual mean of BC was reduced by 38% in 2013 compared to 2005. However, BC contamination in Beijing is still severe when compared to other urban areas around the world.

The solubility measurements of WO3 in NaCl-H2O system with 4.0% by weight salt were carried out to study the supercritical phenomena of solubility. These experiments were carried out using rapid-quench pressure vessels, with quantitative Na2WO4-2H2O, HCl, NaCl and H2O in Pt capsule to determine the solubility of WO3 from supersaturated solution. The pressure was kept at 34 MPa, which was near the critical pressure 31.4 MPa and the temperatures varied from 250°C to 550°C. The experimental results indicate that the solubility of WO3 has the features of supercritical phenomenon in critical region and is sensitive to the change of system temperature and solvent density. The temperature and pressure in this experiment are close to those of ore-forming fluids in many tungsten deposits, so the features of supercritical geofluids can be helpful to investigating the ore-forming mechanism of tungsten deposit.

Most metallic minerals in ore deposits are sulfides. When a sulfide mineral coexists with rock-forming minerals, its solubility is distinctly different from itself alone. The change in dissolution character of a mineral with coexisting rock-forming minerals leads to particular geochemical behavior. The concept of solubility of a metallic mineral with coexisting rock-forming minerals and its theory and model of calculation are put forward. Taking Tianmashan Cu-Au ore deposit of sulfide minerals in Tongling district as an example, solubilities of some metallic minerals with other coexisting minerals, such as pyrite or chalcopyrite with quartz (representing sandstone) or calcite (representing limestone), are calculated. The results show the mechanism of ore-forming processes. As the ore-forming fluid flows through sandstone, it dissolves pyrite in the sandstone at first, then transports the iron and sulfur to the interface between sandstone and limestone and eventually precipitates them on the interface.

Carbonaceous aerosols constitute an important part of atmospheric particles in urban areas. Within this study, total carbon (TC) was investigated in total suspended particulates (TSP) and fine particles (PM2.5) collected in the megacity Beijing, China. Beside mass and TC concentrations, also stable C isotopes were analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IR-MS) coupled to an element analyzer (EA). Carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) can serve as a fingerprint for source identification, because different source materials have characteristic δ13C values.

Daily PM2.5 samples were collected continuously with two high-volume samplers at the ground of CUGB from 06/2010 until 06/2011. The site is very near to the instrumentation for long-term investigation of the inorganic composition of PM2.5 (DWD, KIT/IMG). The daily filter samples are analyzed for carbon fractions, organic compound speciation (HMGU, UR), inorganic (KIT/IMG) and isotopic composition. Gaseous pollutants like NO, NO2 and O3 and compounds which are of interest for secondary aerosol formation like SO2 were measured by a DOAS with three retroreflectors from 04/2009 until 03/2011 in Beijing at LAPC. By path-integrated measurements at different directions information about emission sources (motorway, small street) can be provided. The emitter/receiver unit is in 20 m distance to an air pollution monitoring station. The diurnal development and variation of the mixing layer height (MLH) is determined by a ceilometer. It is shown that the variations of the observed SO2 and NO2 as well as PM2.5 concentrations are influenced by the MLH, apart from the meteorological (e.g. wind), emission (e.g. SO2) and photochemistry dependences. High air pollution is coupled significantly with MLH lower than 1,000 m.

The spatial and temporal distribution and the flux of black carbon (BC) concentration in Beijing were continuously investigated over a two-year period at five sites to highlight the relative influence of contributing sources. The results demonstrate firstly that there is significant spatio-temporal variability of BC in Beijing. Highest concentrations occurred during winter primarily due to stagnant meteorological conditions, and seasonal BC sources, such as coal combustion for heating purposes. Biomass burning was identified as a minor seasonal source during the summer months. BC also varied spatially with higher concentrations in the SE of Beijing and lower concentrations in the NW, due to the differing emission intensity of various local BC sources such as traffic and industry. Frequently, overnight BC concentrations were higher due to specific meteorological conditions, such as the lower urban mixing layer height and various anthropogenic activities, such as exclusive night-time heavy duty vehicle traffic in the inner-city.