Arsenic-contaminated groundwater used for drinking in China is a health threat that was first recognized in the 1960s. However, because of the sheer size of the country, millions of groundwater wells remain to be tested in order to determine the magnitude of the problem. We developed a statistical risk model that classifies safe and unsafe areas with respect to geogenic arsenic contamination in China, using the threshold of 10 micrograms per liter, the World Health Organization guideline and current Chinese standard for drinking water. We estimate that 19.6 million people are at risk of being affected by the consumption of arsenic-contaminated groundwater. Although the results must be confirmed with additional field measurements, our risk model identifies numerous arsenic-affected areas and highlights the potential magnitude of this health threat in China.

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Objectives Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common disease whose aetiopathogenesis is linked to psychological disorders. This study aims to determine the influence of anxiety and depression in OLP patients, define the perception of quality of life in these patients and check for potential differences between atrophic/ ulcerative and reticular lesions. Materials and Methods A group of 48 OLP patients and a control group of 40 patients were selected. In order to assess anxiety, depression and quality of life, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Oral Health Impact Profile 14 (OHIP‐14) tests were completed. Results OLP patients showed higher scores on HADS (anxiety p < 0.01, depression p < 0.05) and OHIP‐14 (physical pain p < 0.05, psychological discomfort p = 0.001). Patients with reticular lesions obtained higher scores in HADS (anxiety p = 0.001, depression p < 0.001), whereas patients with atrophic/ ulcerative lesions obtained higher scores in OHIP‐14 (p = 0.02). Conclusions Psychological disorders play an important role as a trigger for OLP and are responsible for many relapses. Psychological support would be advisable in order to improve their mental health, as this would have a positive impact on their quality of life and would lead to a better progression of the disease.

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Natural archives have been used to reconstruct mercury atmospheric deposition at different spatial and temporal scales during the Holocene in the Northern Hemisphere. In this study, we present the results from a Brazilian mountain mire (Pinheiro mire, Minas Gerais, SE Brazil), extending back to ∼57 ka. The core was analyzed for mercury concentration, organic matter content, organic carbon isotopic composition, and tracers of mineral matter flux. Principal components analysis followed by principal components regression enabled us to determine the evolution of the weight of the latent processes governing the accumulation of mercury through time. We show that climate change was the main driver for the variations of mercury concentrations, either indirectly by (i) enhancing soil erosion in the mire's catchment, which led to a decrease in mercury concentration due to dilution by low mercury-containing mineral matter, (ii) increasing regional dust deposition, which resulted in increased concentrations, or directly, by long-term changes in atmospheric wet deposition (arid vs humid periods). Internal peat processes (i.e., decomposition and mass loss) had a minor influence at the time scale represented by the core.

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We present a study on weathering of volcanic soils using 43 profiles (131 horizons) sampled in Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos Islands). Several weathering indices, based on chemical composition, are used. Since the geological material is highly homogeneous the intensity of weathering is mostly related to climatic conditions controlled by topography. There is a gradient of increasing weathering from the arid conditions predominant in the coast to elevations of 400-500 m a.s.l. where much more humid conditions prevail.