{"title":"Effect of Mn2+ concentration on the growth of δ-MnO2 crystals under acidic conditions","authors":"Liyan Bi, Haoran Hu, Lei Wang, Zuran Li, Fangdong Zhan, Yongmei He, Yanqun Zu, Yuan Li, Xinran Liang","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00091-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00091-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> is an important component of environmental minerals and is among the strongest sorbents and oxidants. The crystalline morphology of δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> is one of the key factors affecting its reactivity. In this work, δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> was initially synthesized and placed in an acidic environment to react with Mn<sup>2+</sup> and undergo a crystalline transformation. During the transformation of crystalline δ-MnO<sub>2</sub>, kinetic sampling was conducted, followed by analyses of the structures and morphologies of the samples. The results showed that at pH 2.5 and 4, δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> nanoflakes spontaneously self-assembled into nanoribbons via edge-to-edge assembly in the initial stage. Subsequently, these nanoribbons attached to each other to form primary nanorods through a face-to-face assembly along the <i>c</i>-axis. These primary nanorods then assembled along the (001) planes and lateral surfaces, achieving further growth and thickening. Since a lower pH is more favorable for the formation of vacancies in δ-MnO<sub>2</sub>, δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> can rapidly adsorb Mn<sup>2+</sup> directly onto the vacancies to form tunnel walls. At the same time, the rapid formation of the tunnel walls leads to a quick establishment of hydrogen bonding between adjacent nanoribbons, enabling the assembly of these nanoribbons into primary nanorods. Therefore, in a solution with the same concentration of Mn<sup>2+</sup>, the structure transformation and morphology evolution of δ-MnO<sub>2</sub> to α-MnO<sub>2</sub> occur faster at pH 2.5 than at pH 4. These findings provide insights into the mechanism for crystal growth from layer-based to tunnel-based nanorods and methods for efficient and controlled syntheses of nanomaterials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-024-00091-x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142329233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
George E. Ikpi, Therese N. Nganje, Aniekan Edet, Christopher I. Adamu, Godswill A. Eyong
{"title":"Investigation of hydrochemical characteristic, water quality and associated health risks of metals and metalloids in water resources in the vicinity of Akamkpa quarry district, southeastern, Nigeria","authors":"George E. Ikpi, Therese N. Nganje, Aniekan Edet, Christopher I. Adamu, Godswill A. Eyong","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00090-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00090-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Quarrying of rock aggregates generates produced water that, if not handled properly will be a source of pollution for nearby water bodies, thus affecting the chemistry of the water. This study examined the chemistry, impact of quarrying activities on water resources and the health consequences/risks posed by ingestion of the water by humans in the Akamkpa quarry region in southeastern Nigeria. Thirty (30) water samples consisting of pond water, stream water, hand dug wells, and borehole samples were collected and analyzed for their physicochemical parameters using standard methods. The results obtained from the analyses indicated that the water was moderately acidic, fresh, and not salty, with many parameters below the recommended standards with Ca<sup>2+</sup>, and HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> being the dominant ions present in the water resources. Rock weathering processes including silicate weathering as illustrated by hydrochemical facies, cross plots, and Gibbs diagrams are the dominant mechanisms influencing the quality and major ions chemistry of the water resources with minor contributions from dissolution, anthropogenic activities, and ion exchange. Ca-Mg-SO<sub>4</sub>-Cl and Na–K-HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> are the most important water types. Although the water quality index shows that the water is suitable for human use and irrigation, the mean values of As, Cd, Pb, and Se are above the acceptable limits. Additionally, the calculated contamination factor revealed the water resources are moderate to highly contaminated by As, Cd, Cr, Mo, Pb, Sb, and Se, and are therefore unsuitable for consumption with regards to these parameters. However, the residual sodium carbonate and water hazard index (WHI) values showed that 38% to 90% of sites in the quarry area were unsuitable for cultivation, 10–30% were in the low to medium impact category, and 60% were classified as risky and are from high to very high impact category. A non-cancer study of inhabitants living in the vicinity of the quarry area indicated that 6.7% of the sites have values greater than one, indicating that it may endanger the health of the people. Therefore, constant monitoring of the water quality is recommended as long-term use of contaminated water can harm humans, plants, and soils.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-024-00090-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hydrothermal alteration processes in monzogranite: a case study from the Eastern Desert of Egypt: implications from remote sensing, geochemistry and mineralogy","authors":"Amira M. El Tohamy","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00089-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00089-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The South Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt is one of the most promising areas in Egypt; it is widely explored for exploring the rare earth elements (REEs) and uranium-bearing ores. It is a main part of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS). Therefore, the present study concerns with Sikait-Nugrus area as one of the most prolific sites in this region. The study provides a detailed geological, structural, and mineralogical investigation of the monzogranites to describe and characterize the various alteration types and sequence. For this purpose, remote sensing, geochemical and petrographical techniques were applied. The remote sensing technique helped in constructing a detailed geologic map of the study area to follow up strictly the alteration zone of the Sikait-Nugrus area. Petrographically, the granites predominates in the study area, they are described as slightly and highly altered monzogranites. The slightly altered one is composed mainly of quartz (~ 20–35%), alkali feldspar (~ 25–30%), plagioclase (~ 25–30%), and mica (~ 5–15%), while accessory minerals are represented by zircon and monazite. On the other hand, the portion of this granite close to the shearing zone is intensively altered and characterized by sericitization as the main alteration processes. This sheared portion is characterized by accessory minerals as, uranothorite, allanite, fluorite and Nb-minerals (ishikawaite). Minerlogically, the altered monzogranites are predominated by the following mineral groups: (1) radioactive minerals as uranyl silicates (soddyite, uranophane and kasolite), and thorium minerals (thorite and uranothorite), (2) Nb–Ta minerals (betafite, plumbobetafite, columbite, fergusonite, and aeschynite), (3) REE minerals (monazite, cheralite and xenotime), and (4) zircon and fluorite as accessory minerals. Geochemically, the recorded pattern of the REEs tetrad effect (M-type) for the highly altered samples indicate that these granites are highly evolved and affected by late stage of hydrothermal alteration and the effective water-rich alteration processes that connected to intensive physico-chemical changes. The total REE concentrations equal 241.8 and 249.75 ppm for the highly and slightly altered samples. A significant mass change (MC) was analyzed by the isocon technique (22.95 & 11.11) and volume change (VC) (1.8 &-7.99) for the highly and slightly altered samples, respectively. The mass balance calculations and the isocon diagrams revealed that some major oxides were removed from the slightly altered monzogranites and transformed later into highly altered monzogranites with increasing the alteration intensity due to the impacts of hydrothermal alteration processes. The studied area is virgin, where no detailed studies have been applied to this region. It is extendable to other parts of the Arabian-Nubian Shield in around the Red Sea in Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The applied technical workflow is also extendible to other surface analogue","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-024-00089-5","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142080109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prebiotic thiol-catalyzed thioamide bond formation","authors":"Andrew S. Hyde, Christopher H. House","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00088-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00088-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Thioamide bonds are important intermediates in prebiotic chemistry. In cyanosulfidic prebiotic chemistry, they serve as crucial intermediates in the pathways that lead to the formation of many important biomolecules (e.g., amino acids). They can also serve as purine and pyrimidine precursors, the two classes of heterocycle employed in genetic molecules. Despite their importance, the formation of thioamide bonds from nitriles under prebiotic conditions has required large excesses of sulfide or compounds with unknown prebiotic sources. Here, we describe the thiol-catalyzed formation of thioamide bonds from nitriles. We show that the formation of the simplest of these compounds, thioformamide, forms readily in spark-discharge experiments from hydrogen cyanide, sulfide, and a methanethiol catalyst, suggesting potential accumulation on early Earth. Lastly, we demonstrate that thioformamide has a Gibbs energy of hydrolysis (<span>(Delta G^{circ }_r)</span>) comparable to other energy-currencies on early Earth such as pyrophosphate and thioester bonds. Overall, our findings imply that thioamides might have been abundant on early Earth and served a variety of functions during chemical evolution.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11299287/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141888952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pierangelo Romano, Lorenzo Brusca, Marcello Liotta
{"title":"Element mobility during basalt-water-CO2 interaction: observations in natural systems vs. laboratory experiments and implication for carbon storage","authors":"Pierangelo Romano, Lorenzo Brusca, Marcello Liotta","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00087-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00087-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Today, carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere is the most ambitious challenge to mitigate climate changes. Basalt rocks are abundant on the Earth’s surface (≈ 10%) and very abundant in the ocean floors and subaerial environments. Glassy matrix and minerals constituting these rocks contain metals (Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, Fe<sup>2+</sup>) that can react with carbonic acid to form metal carbonates (CaCO<sub>3</sub>, MgO<sub>3</sub> and FeCO3). Here, we present a data compilation of the chemical composition of waters circulating in basalt aquifers worldwide and the results of simple basalt-water-CO<sub>2</sub> experiments. Induced or naturally occurring weathering of basalts rocks release elements in waters and elemental concentration is closely dependent on water CO<sub>2</sub> concentration (and hence on water pH). We also performed two series of experiments where basaltic rock powder interacts with CO<sub>2</sub>-charged waters for one month at room temperature. Laboratory experiments evidenced that in the first stages of water-rock interaction, the high content of CO<sub>2</sub> dissolved in water accelerates the basalt weathering process, releasing in the water not only elements that can form carbonate minerals but also other elements, which depending on their concentration can be essential or toxic for life. Relative mobility of elements such as Fe and Al, together with rare earth elements, increases at low pH conditions, while it decreases notably at neutral pH conditions. The comparison between experimental findings and natural evidence allowed to better understand the geochemical processes in basaltic aquifers hosted in active and inactive volcanic systems and to discuss these findings in light of the potential environmental impact of CO<sub>2</sub> storage in mafic and ultramafic rocks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-024-00087-7","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140943385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmed R. Elgendy, Abd El Mohsen S. El Daba, Mohamed A. El-Sawy, Ahmed E. Alprol, Ghada Y. Zaghloul
{"title":"A comparative study of the risk assessment and heavy metal contamination of coastal sediments in the Red sea, Egypt, between the cities of El-Quseir and Safaga","authors":"Ahmed R. Elgendy, Abd El Mohsen S. El Daba, Mohamed A. El-Sawy, Ahmed E. Alprol, Ghada Y. Zaghloul","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00086-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00086-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to assess the influence of pollution on the quality of sediments and the risks associated with El-Qusier and Safaga Cities, Red Sea, Egypt, during 2021, divided into four sectors, using multiple pollution indices. To achieve that, we evaluated the metal pollution index (MPI), contamination factor (Cf), pollution load index (PLI), contamination security index (CSI), and anthropogenicity (Anp%). Moreover, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks are used for human health hazards. Results indicated that Mn and Fe recorded the highest concentrations, whereas Cd had the lowest. El-Quseir City sediments were found the following metal ions: Fe > Mn > Ni > Zn > Cu > Co > Pb > Cd, where the order in the Safaga City was: Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd. MPI > 1, this is alarming in the study area due to heavy metal pollution. In addition, C<sub><i>f</i></sub> < 1 in all metals except Cd with contamination degree CD ranged from low to considerable contamination in El-Qusier city. In contrast, contamination ranged from significant to very high in Safaga city. PLI < 1 is lower than the reference at all monitored stations. CSI values ranged from relatively low to moderate. Besides Cd, data reflect each element's low environmental danger (Eri<sup>Me</sup>40). This study's risk index (RI) is low to moderate in Sector 1 and high to extremely high in Sector 2. HQ and HI index < 1 means it is safe for human health in order: HI <sub>ingestion</sub> > HI <sub>dermal</sub>. CSR for different pathways was recorded as dermal > ingestion, in which total CSR for all paths is considered harmful, and the cancer risk is troublesome and higher than the reference ranges of 1 × 10<sup>–6</sup>–1 × 10<sup>–4</sup>. In conclusion, the examined heavy metals provide environmental hazards across the assessed locations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-024-00086-8","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140821077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mariam Mosleh, Jasmi Hafiz Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Hatta Roselee, Ahmed Al-Shorman, Mahmoud Al Tamimi, Abdelkarim Alsoudi
{"title":"Geochemical dispersion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the Wadi Abu Khusheiba area in Southern Jordan","authors":"Mariam Mosleh, Jasmi Hafiz Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Hatta Roselee, Ahmed Al-Shorman, Mahmoud Al Tamimi, Abdelkarim Alsoudi","doi":"10.1186/s12932-024-00085-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-024-00085-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study delves into the geochemical dispersion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the Wadi Abu Khusheiba area, southern Jordan, with a focus on uncovering the complex patterns of mineralization and their geological significance. Employing an in-depth geochemical analysis of 24 rock samples from the region, we identified that these samples are predominantly hosted by oversaturated rhyolitic rocks, characterized by high SiO<sub>2</sub> content and abundant free Quartz and orthoclase minerals. The mineralized zone of the quartz veins is particularly notable for its gold and silver concentrations, with maximum values reaching up to 5 ppm for gold and 18 ppm for silver. Our investigation into the elemental correlations revealed nuanced relationships, dependent on the 21 sample and analyzed at confidence level of (85%). Contrary to initial assumptions, we did not find a significant positive correlation between gold (Au) and arsenic (As), nor significant negative correlations between gold and other trace elements. These insights are critical for understanding the geochemical behavior of gold in the area and offer a nuanced view of elemental associations. The results of this study are significant for both academic research and practical exploration. They enhance our comprehension of the geological history and mineralization processes in Wadi Abu Khusheiba, providing valuable data that can inform future exploration strategies and deepen our understanding of mineral deposition in similar geological settings. This research not only contributes to the scientific community’s knowledge of the area’s geochemistry but also has potential implications for the mining and exploration industries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-024-00085-9","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140012561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ghada Y. Zaghloul, Hoda A. Eissa, Amira Y. Zaghloul, Mahmoud S. Kelany, Mohamed A. Hamed, Khalid M. El Moselhy
{"title":"Impact of some heavy metal accumulation in different organs on fish quality from Bardawil Lake and human health risks assessment","authors":"Ghada Y. Zaghloul, Hoda A. Eissa, Amira Y. Zaghloul, Mahmoud S. Kelany, Mohamed A. Hamed, Khalid M. El Moselhy","doi":"10.1186/s12932-023-00084-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-023-00084-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bardawil Lake is a unique aquatic ecosystem that provides a habitat for various fish and other marine organisms. This study aimed to analyze the quality of fish species to prove that this lake is free of pollution, not other Egyptian lakes, due to the accumulation of some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) in various tissues of fish species that were caught from this lake. Thirty-five fish samples were caught during the Spring of 2018 from seven different species: <i>Mugil cephalus, Liza auratus, Sparus aurata, Dicentrarchus labrax, Siganus rivulatus, Anguilla angilla, and Solae solea</i>. The Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods using a spectrophotometer determined the biochemical composition. In contrast, atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was employed to determine the heavy metals expressed by µg/g wet weight. Results exposed that the accumulation of essential micronutrient (Cu, Zn) content was higher than toxic elements (Cd & Pb) in muscles in order to Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Muscles < gills < liver in order of all metals except Pb with order muscles < liver < gills. The metals studied in the muscles were lower than those set by the WHO and the EU standards. The carcinogenic risk with lower allowable limits of 1 × 10<sup>–6</sup> to 1 × 10<sup>–4</sup> in both normal and high consumption groups; target and total target hazard quotients (THQ & HI) in muscles were < 1. The biochemical composition level was highest in the liver, except for protein, which was highest in muscle for all fish species. There is no evidence of harmful contaminants in the muscular tissue of the fish sampled from Bardawil Lake, although fishing activity. However, customers should know that health concerns may be associated with overeating fish.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-023-00084-2","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139416828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mahmoud Abdel-Hakeem, Mohamed El-Tahir, Ehab Abu Zeid, Hassan Rageh
{"title":"Genetic implications of Th/U, Th/K, and U/K ratios for U mineralizations: A case study from El-Missikat and El-Erediya shear zones, Eastern Desert, Egypt","authors":"Mahmoud Abdel-Hakeem, Mohamed El-Tahir, Ehab Abu Zeid, Hassan Rageh","doi":"10.1186/s12932-023-00083-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-023-00083-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The current work is an attempt to reveal the possible utilization of the radiometric measurements to build-up a complete genetic scenario for magmatic, hydrothermal, and supergene uranium mineralization. For this purpose, ground gamma-ray survey was performed through the exploratory tunnels dug perpendicular to El-Missikat and El-Erediya shear zones, the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. Contents of U, Th, and K were measured for the host pink granite (e.g., avg.15.94 U ppm, 35.62 Th ppm, and 6.63% K), alteration zones (brecciation, silicification, greisenization, kaolinization and hematitization) (e.g., avg. 124.01 U ppm, 63.67 Th ppm, and 3.13% K), and mineralized silica veins (e.g., avg. 312.65 U ppm, 92.22 Th ppm, and 2.62% K). All of these data were graphically represented as correlation plots of Th vs. U, Th/U vs. U, Th vs. K, and U/K vs. Th/K. The overall results indicate magmatic, hydrothermal, and supergene sources of El-Missikat and El-Erediya U mineralization. The magma-derived U contents are enclosed mainly in the pink granite that is mostly characterized by normal Th/U (2.5–5) and Th/K ratios (3–5*10<sup>–4</sup>). The hydrothermal processes through the alteration zones and mineralized silica veins are reflected by the weak correlation of Th with U (e.g. r = 0.13 and − 0.39), the strong negative correlation of Th/U ratio with U (e.g. r = − 0.82), 2.5˃Th/U˃0.1, Th/K˃5*10<sup>–4</sup>, Th/K < 3*10<sup>–4</sup>, and the strong positive correlation of U/K with Th/K (e.g. r = 0.91) as well as the occurrence of thorite, columbite, xenotime and hydrothermal zircon (0.5 > Th/U ≤ 0.1). Afterwards, the hydrothermal mineralization underwent some degrees of chemical weathering that resulted in supergene U mineralization whose fingerprints can be traced by the occurrence of secondary U minerals (e.g. kasolite and uranophane), Th/U ratios ≤ 0.1, and the weak correlation between Th/K and U/K (e.g. r = 0.39 and − 0.11).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10580569/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41234591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Eu(III) and Am(III) adsorption on aluminum (hydr)oxide minerals: surface complexation modeling","authors":"Anshuman Satpathy, Amy E. Hixon","doi":"10.1186/s12932-023-00081-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12932-023-00081-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Americium is a highly radioactive actinide element found in used nuclear fuel. Its adsorption on aluminum (hydr)oxide minerals is important to study for at least two reasons: (i) aluminum (hydr)oxide minerals are ubiquitous in the subsurface environment and (ii) bentonite clays, which are proposed engineered barriers for the geologic disposal of used nuclear fuel, have the same ≡AlOH sites as aluminum (hydr)oxide minerals. Surface complexation modeling is widely used to interpret the adsorption behavior of heavy metals on mineral surfaces. While americium sorption is understudied, multiple adsorption studies for europium, a chemical analog, are available. In this study we compiled data describing Eu(III) adsorption on three aluminum (hydr)oxide minerals—corundum (α-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>), γ-alumina (γ-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and gibbsite (γ-Al(OH)<sub>3</sub>)—and developed surface complexation models for Eu(III) adsorption on these minerals by employing diffuse double layer (DDL) and charge distribution multisite complexation (CD-MUSIC) electrostatic frameworks. We also developed surface complexation models for Am(III) adsorption on corundum (α-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and γ-alumina (γ-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) by employing a limited number of Am(III) adsorption data sourced from literature. For corundum and γ-alumina, two different adsorbed Eu(III) species, one each for strong and weak sites, were found to be important regardless of which electrostatic framework was used. The formation constant of the weak site species was almost 10,000 times weaker than the formation constant for the corresponding strong site species. For gibbsite, two different adsorbed Eu(III) species formed on the single available site type and were important for the DDL model, whereas the best-fit CD-MUSIC model for Eu(III)-gibbsite system required only one Eu(III) surface species. The Am(III)-corundum model based on the CD-MUSIC framework had the same set of surface species as the Eu(III)-corundum model. However, the log K values of the surface reactions were different. The best-fit Am(III)-corundum model based on the DDL framework had only one site type. Both the CD-MUSIC and the DDL model developed for Am(III)-γ-alumina system only comprised of one site type and the formation constant of the corresponding surface species was ~ 500 times stronger and ~ 700 times weaker than the corresponding Eu(III) species on the weak and the strong sites, respectively. The CD-MUSIC model for corundum and both the DDL and the CD-MUSIC models for γ-alumina predicted the Am(III) adsorption data very well, whereas the DDL model for corundum overpredicted the Am(III) adsorption data. The root mean square of errors of the DDL and CD-MUSIC models developed in this study were smaller than those of two previously-published models describing Am(III)-γ-alumina system, indicating the better predictive capacity of our models. Overall, our results suggest that using Eu(III)","PeriodicalId":12694,"journal":{"name":"Geochemical Transactions","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://geochemicaltransactions.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12932-023-00081-5","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"4799034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}