Search results for "Geochimica"

Reply to the “Comment by Delmelle et al. (2013) on ‘Scavenging of sulfur, halogens and trace metals by volcanic ash: The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull erupti…

2014

Abstract With this short communication we address the principal issues raised by Delmelle et al. (2014) in relation to the work of Bagnato et al. (2013) concerning the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland. The principal conclusions of the work of Bagnato et al. (2013) include the observation that protracted gas-aerosol interaction in the plume promotes selective leaching of cation species from ash, with alkalis and Ca (and, among trace elements, Zn and Cu) being more rapidly re-mobilized (and transferred to soluble surface salts) relative to more inert elements (Mg, Ti). They also observed that adsorption onto ash surfaces is a major atmospheric sink of volcanic acidic gases, with 282…

THE FATE OF ZR AND HF IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS UNDER THE EFFECTS OF SOLID-LIQUID INTERFACE PROCESSES, INTERPRETED IN THE LIGHT OF BEHAVIOUR OF RARE EARTHS …

2012

Lo stato dell’ambiente marino nell’area del Canale di Sicilia in prossimità del SIN di Gela.

2009

Viene illustrata in questa nota l’attuale condizione in cui si trova lo stato dell’ambiente marino nell’area del Canale di Sicilia immediatamente a ridosso della costa merdionale delle Sicilia dal Golfo di Gela alla costa iblea. Lo stato dell’ambiente in oggetto viene valutato in base alla distribuzione di alcuni metalli in tracce normalmente ritenuti fra i più significativi per gli scopi prefissati, esaminati lungo la colonna d’acqua e nei sedimenti superficiali di fondale. I risultati ottenuti, illustrati anche attraverso un’indagine statistica multivariata, indicano un arricchimento superficiale della colonna d’acqua in lantanio che può essere ascritto tanto ad un’origine litogenica, qua…

Yttrium and lanthanides in human lung fluids, probing the exposure to atmospheric fallout.

2011

International audience; Inhalation of airborne particles can produce crystallization of phosphatic microcrysts in intraaveolar areas of lungs, sometimes degenerating into pulmonary fibrosis. Results of this study indicate that these pathologies are induced by interactions between lung fluids and inhaled atmospheric dust in people exposed to volcanic dust ejected from Mount Etna in 2001. Here, the lung solid-liquid interaction is evaluated by the distribution of yttrium and lanthanides (YLn) in fluid bronchoalveolar lavages on selected individuals according the classical geochemical approaches. We found that shale-normalised patterns of yttrium and lanthanides have a 'V shaped' feature corre…

Geochemical behaviour of rare earths in Vitis vinifera grafted onto different rootstocks and growing on several soils.

2014

The geochemical behaviour of lanthanides and yttrium (Rare Earth Elements, REEs) has been investigated mainly in geological systems where these elements represent the best proxies of processes involving the occurrence of an interface between different media. This behaviour is assessed according to features recorded in sequences of REE concentrations along the REE series normalised with respect to a reference material. In this study, the geochemical behaviour of REE was investigated in different parts of Vitis vinifera specimens grown off-soil, on soils of different nature and grafted onto several rootstocks in order to evaluate effects induced by these changes. The results indicated that ro…

The Eyjafjallajokull volcanic summit eruption: evidences from ash-leachates analysis and ground deposition fluxes

2012

The Eyjafjallajokull 2010 eruption was an extraordinary event in that it led to widespread over Europe. Volcanic processes which lead to eruptions can be investigated by monitoring a variety of parameters, including the composition of ash leachates. Fine-grained tephra erupted from active vents, and transported through volcanic plumes, can adsorbs, and therefore rapidly scavenge, volatile elements such as S, halogens, and metal species in the form of soluble salts adhering to ash surfaces. Analysis of such water-soluble phases is a suitable complement for the remote sensing of volcanic gases at inaccessible volcanoes, like Eyjafjallajokull. The 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption developed in fo…

Use of lead isotopic fingerprint in human scalp hair to identify potential sources of pollution in industrial Sicilian sites (Italy)

2019

Petrochemical industries represent a controversial, although important, the economic resource. They offer numerous job opportunities, which in turn contribute to the economic development of the city. People living in towns close to industrial plants are particularly exposed to severe environmental decline, which involves the deterioration of the quality of air, water, soil, and food. The municipalities of Augusta (SR), Gela (CL) and Pace del Mela (ME) host large oil refineries, together with several important chemical and petrochemical industries. The main goal of this study is to evaluate if stable lead isotope ratios measured in the biological matrix can be used as pollution fingerprints.…

Mercury and halogen emissions from Masaya and Telica volcanoes, Nicaragua

2008

We report measurements of Hg, SO2, and halogens (HCl, HBr, HI) in volcanic gases from Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, and gaseous SO2 and halogens from Telica volcano, Nicaragua. Mercury measurements were made with a Lumex 915+ portable mercury vapor analyzer and gold traps, while halogens, CO2 and S species were monitored with a portable multi gas sensor and filter packs. Lumex Hg concentrations in the plume were consistently above background and ranged up to 350 ng m-3. Hg/SO2 mass ratios measured with the real-time instruments ranged from 1.1 × 10-7 to 3.5 × 10-5 (mean 2 × 10-5). Total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations measured by gold trap ranged from 100 to 225 ng m-3. Reactive gaseous m…

Gender as a key factor in trace metal and metalloid content of human scalp hair. A multi-site study

2016

This multi-site study discusses the content of metals and metalloids (MM) in scalp hair of children, living in different environmental contexts, with the purpose of verifying if hair level of some MM is distinctively gender-specific. A total of 943 hair samples (537 females and 406 males) from adolescents were analysed for their content of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn. Elemental quantification was performed by ICP-MS. The obtained data identified different metal distributions in adolescent girls which exhibited significantly higher hair concentrations of some trace metals, especially Sr, Zn and Ni, than boys. On the base of the median value, hai…

Coverage intervals for trace elements in human scalp hair are site specific.

2014

Coverage intervals for trace elements in human scalp hair commonly provide the basis for interpreting laboratory results and also in comparative decision-making processes regarding exposure risk assessment. This short communication documents, by some examples, that those computed for human hair are to be considered site specific, as they reflect local environmental conditions; also each geographic area has a typical profile of hair elemental composition of its inhabitants. Therefore, the levels of trace elements in hair are not strictly comparable between different areas of the world. This issue is particularly relevant when identification of anomalous environmental exposures are requested …