Rapakivi texture in porphyritic dikes within the Karavanke Granitic Massif (Slovenia)

The northern Karavanke Granitic Massif straddles the Slovenian–Austrian border. The investigated area lies in northern Slovenia, and extends from the western Slovenian–Austrian border to the east for about 30 km, with a maximum width of 2 km. The massif exhibits a bimodal magmatic association comprising mainly syenogranite and syenite with contemporaneous gabbroic rocks. Rocks of intermediate composition are less abundant and show field, textural and chemical features suggesting that they have formed as a result of the interaction (mixing and mingling) between felsic and mafic magmas. Plagioclasemantled alkali feldspars occur in dikes of porphyritic syenite, which cut larger bodies of gabbroic rocks. Field, mineralogical, petrographic and geochemical evidences suggest that the porphyritic syenite is a hybrid rock, formed by the interaction of mafic and felsic magmas. The formation of plagioclase-mantled alkali feldspar can be explained by the introduction of alkali feldspar from felsic, syenogranitic magma into more mafic magma, causing local undercooling in the portion of mafic magma surrounding the crystals. This resulted in the growth of cellular plagioclase, with quartz infilling, in a thermally and compositionally equilibrating system

Mineralogical and heavy metal signature of acid mine drainage impacted paddy soil from the western part of the Kočani field (Macedonia)

The mineralogy and heavy metal contamination of the paddy soil from the western part of the Kočani field (Eastern Macedonia) due to irrigation of acid mine drainage affected riverine water from the river Zletovska were studied. Highly elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, As and Cd and a pollution index (PI) in the range between 2 and 7 were found in all the investigated paddy soil samples in the vicinity of the river Zletovska. The main carrier phases of the several trace elements in the studied soil seem to be Fe and Mn oxides/hydroxides. Heavy metals such as Pb and/or Cu were also bound to secondary minerals like anglesite, lanarkite, clinoclase and chrysocolla. All these minerals were detected by XRD analysis. The measured total metal concentrations exceed various national and international thresholds, thus suggesting the need for further investigation and an assessment of the suitability of the paddy soil in the western part of the Kočani field for agricultural use

Barite from the Upper Idrijca River valley (W Slovenia)

The Carnian – Julian beds exposed at the Tratnik landslide location in the Upper Idrijca River valley are of various lithology. Mudstones, shales and fine-grained sandtones prevail, containing lenses of micritic limestone and quartz conglomerate. Red coloured barite-quartz concretions, some of them septarias, and barite veins filled with light gray fibrous barite crystals were found in the fine-grained clastic rocks. Concretions with radial arrangementof barite crystals are of early diagenetic origin. Antitaxial barite veins found only in apical parts of folds near the thrust fault were formed in late diagenesis. Barite is replaced to great extent by younger, late diagenetic quartz, especially in the barite concretions

Major and trace elements in paddy soil contaminated by Pb–Zn mining: a case study of Kočani Field, Macedonia

The objective of this study was to assess the bulk chemical composition as well as the extent and severity of heavy metal contamination in the paddy soil of Kocˇani Field (eastern Macedonia). The results revealed that the paddy soil of the western part of Kocˇani Field is severely contaminated with Pb, Zn, As and Cd in the vicinity of the Zletovska River due to irrigation with riverine water that is severely affected by acid mine and tailing effluents from the Pb–Zn mine in Zletovo. The detected total concentrations of these metals are far above the threshold values considered to be phytotoxically excessive for surface soil. The paddy soil in the vicinity of the Zletovska River was also found to exhibit elevated levels of Ba, Th, U, V, W, Mo, Cu, Sb, Bi, Ag, Au, Hg and Tl, with concentrations above their generally accepted median concentration values obtained during this study. A correlation matrix revealed that the Mn and Fe oxides/ hydroxides are the most important carrier phase for several trace elements, with the exception of rare earth elements (REEs). These also represent a major sink for the observed heavy metal pollution of thesoil. REEs are mostly associated with two phases: light (L)REEs are bound to K-Al, while heavy (H)REEs are bound to Mg-bearing minerals. Although there is no direct evidence of a health risk, the paddy soil in the vicinity of Zletovska River needs further investigation and an assessment should be made of its suitability for agricultural use, particularly in view of the highly elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, As and Cd

C Enrichment in Balanus perforatus: Tracers of Municipal Particulate Waste in the Murter Sea (Central Adriatic, Croatia)

Stable isotopic compositions of nitrogen and carbon in barnacles Balanus perforatus from the Pirovac Bay (Central Adriatic), highly impacted by untreated municipal waste, and from unaffected sites from the southern part of the Kornati Islands were compared. The differences in δ 13 C and δ 15 N values observed in organisms from both areas suggest that this benthic invertebrate could be a potential biomonitor for sewage-derived nutrients in coastal seas. Both nitrogen and carbon were enriched in heavy isotopes in organisms collected in Pirovac Bay, as well as in those from the area around the fish farm at Vrgada Island. These point toward an increased input of 15 N and 13 C enriched anthropogenic and/or aquaculture derived nitrogen and carbon into the local marine ecosystem. It is suggested that benthic filter feeders, such as B. perforatus, could be useful sentinels for detecting anthropogenicallyderived inputs of nutrients into the coastal marine ecosystems. However, to get a better insight into the transfer rates of anthropogenic C and N into the food web, more extended research on a larger population is needed, as well as a detailed investigation of seasonal variation of abundance and isotopic composition of particulate organic matter as their presumed food source