[Characteristics of Cd Fluxe in Topsoil Around Typical Mining Area in Hezhou, Guangxi].

Guangxi is a typical geological high background area in southwest China, where carbonates, black rock series, basic-ultrabasic rock mass, and metal deposits (mineralized bodies) exhibit strong weathering into loam, resulting in higher cadmium (Cd) content in the soil than that in other areas of China. In order to investigate the degree of influence of mining activities on topsoil environmental quality in the area with high geological background, we chose a mining area and control area in Hezhou for this research and systematically carried out a comparative study on Cd transport routes and transport flux density in topsoil. The results showed that the average atmospheric dry and wet deposition flux densities of Cd in the soil of the mining area and control area were 1.87 g·(hm2·a)-1 and 1.52 g·(hm2·a)-1, accounting for 61.5% and 60.3% of the total input flux density, respectively. The flux density of Cd in the soil by fertilization and irrigation was lower. Surface water infiltration was the main avenue of soil Cd output in both the mining area and control area, accounting for 75.4% and 86.6% of the total output flux density, respectively. The harvest output flux density in the mining area was higher than that in the control area, and the Cd content of rice planted in the mining area was higher than the standard, whereas that of maize was safe. On the whole, the net transport flux densities of soil Cd in the mining area and control area were -3.05 g·(hm2·a)-1 and -4.05 g·(hm2·a)-1, both of which showed Cd leaching in the soil. However, the points of high atmospheric deposition flux density and exceeding Cd content in rice were mainly distributed around the mining area, which may have posed a potential threat to the health of local residents. Therefore, it is suggested to control the soil Cd pollution through monitoring and planting structure adjustment.

A novel composite: layered double hydroxides encapsulated in vesicles.

We report a novel composite: layered double hydroxides (LDHs) encapsulated in vesicles. It was found that positively charged Mg3Al-LDH nanoparticles can induce the spontaneous formation of vesicles in a mixture of a zwitterionic surfactant, dodecyl betaine (C12BE), and an anionic surfactant, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT), and importantly, we obtain simultaneously a novel composite of Mg3Al-LDH encapsulated in vesicles. The obtained composite is very stable and expected to be potentially used in drug delivery and gene therapy.

Intrinsic surface reaction equilibrium constants of structurally charged amphoteric hydrotalcite-like compounds.

The relative equations among intrinsic surface reaction equilibrium constants (K in 1-pK model, K(a1)(int) and K(a2)(int) in 2-pK model, and *K(Na)(int) and *K(Cl)(int) in inert electrolyte chemical binding model), points of zero charge (PZC), and structural charge density (sigma(st)) for amphoteric solids with structural charge were established to investigate the effects of sigma(st) on intrinsic equilibrium constants and PZC. The intrinsic equilibrium constants of HTlc with general formulas [(Zn,Mg)(1-x)Al(x)(OH)(2)](Cl,OH)(x) and [Mg(1-x)(Fe,Al)(x)(OH)(2)](Cl,OH)(x) were evaluated. The following main conclusions were obtained. For amphoteric solids with structural charge, a point of zero net charge (PZNC) independent of electrolyte concentration (c) exists. A common intersection point (CIP) should appear among the acid-base titration curves at different c, and the pH at the CIP is pH(PZNC). The pK, pK(a1)(int), and pK(a2)(int) may be expressed as a function of pH(PZNC) and sigma(st), and these intrinsic equilibrium constants can be directly calculated from pH(PZNC) and sigma(st). The inert electrolyte chemical binding does not exist for amphoteric surfaces with structural charge. PZNC is not equal to the point of zero net proton charge (PZNPC) when sigma(st) not equal 0. pH(PZNC) > pH(PZNPC) when sigma(st)>0; pH(PZNC) < pH(PZNPC) when sigma(st)<0; and pH(PZNC) = pH(PZNPC) only when sigma(st)=0. With increasing c, the difference between pH(PZNC) and pH(PZNPC) decreases; i.e., pH(PZNPC) moves forward to pH(PZNC) with increasing c. For the HTlc samples studied, with increasing x, the pH(PZNC) and the pK(a1)(int) and pK(a2)(int) decrease, and the pK increases. These results can be explained on the basis of the affinity of metal cations for H(+) or OH(-) and the electrostatic interaction between the charging surface and H(+) or OH(-).