No abstract

Mineral dust and other constituents of Devonian atmospheric aerosols together with certain amounts of aquatic suspensions of riverine detrital origin, colloidal particle dispersions and seawater solutes were embedded in $95-98% (or purer) limestones on a consistently subsiding isolated carbonate platform where they formed very complex impurity systems. Very low Th/U values, relative abundance of Fe but a slight excess of K typically characterize these ultrafine impurities which are mineralogically dominated by smectite-illite and mica (sericite) together with goethite. In vertical section, these impurities are arranged like incremental series of light and dense bands. The combined method of natural gamma-ray spectrometric and magnetic susceptibility measurements (GRS-MS) together with background of major and trace element analyses provided first systematic insights into fine-scale variability of these impurities in a pile of pure carbonate platform beds, mostly in inner platform Amphipora limestone facies. These carbonates were deposited close to sea level but far from river mouths, and they represented a certain sort of a relatively ''independent'' medium that was primarily sensitive to climatically (and by rare events) controlled input of atmospheric dust. A remarkable similarity of MS stratigraphic patterns that reflect the quantity and quality of embedded impurities in very distant and paleogeographically separated Devonian basins might be seen as supporting this viewpoint. A long composite stratigraphic section of the Moravian Karst ranges from mid-Eifelian to end-Frasnian levels and yields a number of time characterizing GRS-MS variations that can potentially serve as templates for high-resolution stratigraphic correlations over long distances.

The mineralogy and solubility of air-pollution-control (APC) residues from a secondary lead (Pb) smelter have been studied on samples from the Príbram smelter, Czech Republic, recycling car batteries, with the emphasis on their potential environmental effect. The presence of dominant anglesite (PbSO4) and laurionite (Pb(OH)Cl) was observed in a sintered residue from after-burning chambers (800-1000 degrees C). In contrast, low-temperature Pb-bearing phases, such as KCl x 2PbCl2 and caracolite (Na3Pb2(SO4)3Cl), were detected in the major APC residue from bag-type fabric filters. Metallic elements, zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and tin (Sn) were found homogeneously distributed within this residue. The formation of anglesite, cotunnite (PbCl2), (Zn,Cd)2SnO4, and (Sb,As)2O3 was observed during the sintering of this APC residue at 500 degrees C in a rotary furnace. The 168 h leaching test on filter residue, representing the fraction that may escape the flue gas treatment system, indicated rapid release of Pb and other contaminants. Caracolite and KCl x 2PbCl2 are significantly dissolved, and anglesite and cotunnite form the alteration products, as was confirmed by mineralogical analysis and PHREEQC-2 modeling. The observed Pb-bearing chlorides have significantly higher solubility than anglesite and, following emission from the smelter stack, can readily dissolve, transferring Pb into the environmental milieu (soils, water, inhabited areas).