Spatial distribution and risk assessment of toxic metals in agricultural soils from endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma region in South China

Sihui city (South China) is much affected by nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). To investigate the relationships between the toxic metals in soil and NPC incidence in Sihui, 119 surface soil samples were collected from agricultural fields and analyzed. The soil As–Cr contents in Longjiang (high-incidence area) are significantly lower than those in Weizheng and Jianglin (low-incidence areas), whereas the soil Pb content in Longjiang is significantly higher than that in Weizheng. The Nemerow pollution indices (PIN) of soils decrease in the order of Jianglin > Weizheng > Longjiang. The enrichment factor (EF) of Cd indicates that the Cd enrichment is contributed by human activities. Potential toxic metal-related ecological risk values decrease in the order of Jianglin > Weizheng > Longjiang. The mean hazard index (HI) value of Longjiang was lower than those of Weizheng and Jianglin. There are no adverse noncarcinogenic health effects of soil toxic metals to adults in the study areas. Carcinogenic risks of As and Cr via ingestion and dermal contact and total carcinogenic risk are within the warning range, from 10−6 to 10−4. Hence, we suggest that toxic metals in the soil may not be major geochemical carcinogenic factors of high NPC incidence in Sihui

Progress and challenges of big data research on petrology and geochemistry

We are entering the era of big data, and big data achievements have benefited ordinary people. However, big data application in geochemistry research has not been really appreciated. Big data is a kind of method and a pattern of thought. It is different from traditional scientific research methods and thinking in that it starts from the data and adopts full data mode. This paper introduces basalt, andesite and continental marginal arc basalt tectonic environment discrimination diagrams made by the author and his collaborators using all the global rock geochemical data available. We have discussed the following scientific problems of petrology and geochemistry using big data research: 1. we found many better illustrations in the study of discriminant diagrams, mainly relying on the relationship among the major elements, transition elements, and metal elements. What the points between the relationships are? Why did they work? These new questions need to be studied by the geochemists. 2. Data mining found that mid-ocean ridge is extremely lack of intermediate-acidic rocks. Does it mean that the upper mantle is an acute shortage of water? 3. This study found that the Miocene is the most developed epoch of magmatic activities. The Miocene appeared many important geological events in the world. Is there a connection between them? 4. The Miocene adakite most developed in the world, according to adakite exposed. There may be a giant Eurasian plateau from the Tibetan plateau to the Carpathians. 5. According to the spatial and temporal distribution of Cenozoic picrite, we put forward how to realize a global hotspot issues, etc. The paper also put forward some suggestions of further research and emphasized that science has entered the era of big data. In the era of big data, scientific classification standards have changed: any discipline which can be expressed in data is called science, and which cannot be expressed in data is called non-science. Whether it can be expressed by data is the watershed of science and non-science. In the era of big data, the geology encountered an unprecedented crisis. According to our forecast, in the foreseeable future, geophysics will be far ahead of geology. Space science will boom, and geochemistry will lead the way for a long time in the field of geology. Keywords: Big data, Petrology, Geochemistry, Basalt, Andesite, Discrimination diagra