Zircons from Collisional Granites, Garhwal Himalaya, NW India: U–TH–Pb Age, Geochemistry and Protolith Constraints

In the present work, we studied zircons from the less foliated granites of the Chail Group, which form a thrust sheet of the Lesser Himalayan Sequences, Garhwal region. Compositionally, these granites are S–type, formed in a collisional tectonic setting. Zircons possess an internal structure, mineral inclusions, and geochemical characteristics typical of magmatic origin. The U–Th–Pb geochronology and geochemistry were assessed using the laser ablation multi–collector inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) technique. U–Th–Pb isotope dating of zircons from two different samples revealed their age, estimated from the upper intersection of the discordia, to be 1845 ± 19 Ma. Zircons from one sample contained inherited cores belonging to three age groups: Paleoarchean (3.52 Ga), Neoarchean (2.78 Ga and 2.62 Ga), and Paleoproterozoic (2.1 Ga). Zircons with ages of 3.52, 2.62, and 2.1 Ga were interpreted as magmatic based on their geochemical characteristics. The 2.78 Ga core was interpreted as metamorphic. The observed inheritance is consistent with the melting of sedimentary rocks. The inherited zircons could have originated from Aravalli and Bundelkhand Craton and Paleoproterozoic Aravalli Fold Belt rocks. This confirms that the studied granites are S–type and could have been formed in a collisional environment at 1.85 Ga on the western flank of the Columbia Supercontinent.

HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN VEGETABLES AND ITS DETECTION: A REVIEW

The quality of marketed vegetables cannot be guaranteed as many of them has been contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic. These heavy metals can act as either growth supporter or threat depending on their types and amount absorbed by the plants. The consumption of an excessive amount of heavy metals in vegetable may cause several diseases such as renal dysfunction and bone depletion. There are few methods used to detect heavy metal contamination such as Atomic Absorption Analysis (AAS), Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICPMS). This paper discusses all these methods to compare their efficiency, advantages and disadvantages to select the best method for heavy metal detection in vegetables.

Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry: Metal Imaging in Experimental and Clinical Wilson Disease

Wilson disease is an inherited disorder caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene resulting in copper metabolism disturbances. As a consequence, copper accumulates in different organs with most common presentation in liver and brain. Chelating agents that nonspecifically chelate copper, and promote its urinary excretion, or zinc salts interfering with the absorption of copper from the gastrointestinal tract, are current medications. Also gene therapy, restoring ATP7B gene function or trials with bis-choline tetrathiomolybdate (WTX101) removing excess copper from intracellular hepatic copper stores and increasing biliary copper excretion, is promising in reducing body’s copper content. Therapy efficacy is mostly evaluated by testing for evidence of liver disease and neurological symptoms, hepatic synthetic functions, indices of copper metabolisms, urinary copper excretions, or direct copper measurements. However, several studies conducted in patients or Wilson disease models have shown that not only the absolute concentration of copper, but also its spatial distribution within the diseased tissue is relevant for disease severity and outcome. Here we discuss laser ablation inductively coupled plasma spectrometry imaging as a novel method for accurate determination of trace element concentrations with high diagnostic sensitivity, spatial resolution, specificity, and quantification ability in experimental and clinical Wilson disease specimens.

Air pollution monitoring with mosses in Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria

For the first time a complex study of the bioaccumulation of 22 macro- and microelements, as well as of 18 rare earth and radioactive elements in mosses was applied in the territory of Western Rhodopes. The research is a part of the international program (ICP Vegetation, UNECE) that has been carried out in most of the European countries since 1987. Certain local emitters like old and open mines, serpentines, as well as cross-border transmission were identified. In addition, highest concentrations of radioactive elements were registered in the area of an old uranium mine and most elevated sites, probably due to increased wet deposition. Both heavy metals and toxic elements, as well as radioactive elements maxima were lower than measured highest levels for Bulgaria and Europe. In such studies, inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-OES, ICP-MS) could be recommended.

Use of the System S2o3 (2-) -O2 for the Leaching of Precious Metals Contained in a Mineral From Molango in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico

The newer tendencies of research, related with the leaching of precious metals, involves the use of non toxic reagents that allows the leaching of a mineral of sedimentary origin using the system S2 - O3 2- - O2. Prior to thisprocess, the mineral was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry of X – rays (EDS), X- ray mapping. Finally, the chemical composition was executed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP). According to the results obtained, it was possible to determine that the mineral studied has adequate contents of gold, palladium, silver, and platinum. And after the leaching process, it could be possible to leach the gold and palladium that it contains, getting recoveries of 90% and 85 %, respectively. In the case of silver, a redissolution or precipitation could occur during the first minutes of reaction.