171 - Submicron coal ash increase topsoil total and methylmercury in a northern high-mountain Asian basin

Submicron coal ash-related mercury (Hg) is an increasing concern in northern high-mountain Asian soil. Junggar Basin develops in the Altaids which contains many world- class metallogenic deposits, coal- and oil/gas-bearing basins. As a vital energy synthesis base in China, the basin plays an indispensable role in the national energy supply and structure. Clean coal utilizing remains challenging due to a large amount of submicron coal ash dominated by high content of alkali metals and iron (Fe), including Hg secondary release. However, identifying and separating anthropogenic total and methylmercury (MeHg) associated with submicron ash from earth–abundant elements in soil is difficult. Here, we propose a methodology by combining compositional data analysis, unsupervised anomaly detection algorithms, nonstationary multiple point co-simulation, the ratio of anhysteretic remanent magnetization and apply it to the Junggar Basin. This is robust procedure for defining Hg and MeHg associated with submicron coal ash and providing spatial representation and uncertainty. The rock magnetic parameter confirms most submicron coal ash in soils. The findings highlight the importance of accounting for the increasing mobility particle number size distributions (size range ~0.05μm–1μm) in the mid-latitude cold, arid basin for source apportionment, human health, glacier ablation, soil biocrusts, taiga forest of the world’s southern edge and Earth system model in the future research.

Authors: Xu Zhou,Xinbin Feng