Plant J, Moore P J
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1979 Dec 11;288(1026):95-112. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1979.0093.
Regional geochemical atlases of Britain and the British North Sea prepared by the Institute of Geological Sciences are discussed with special reference to their environmental significance. Factors affecting the selection of sample types are considered, and sample preparation, analytical procedure and monitoring error discussed. Stream sediment is shown to be the optimum sample type for regional geochemistry in areas of upland Britain underlain by crystalline bedrock, although soils may provide the optimum sample medium in areas of intensive agriculture. Geochemical mapping of the continental shelf is based on superficial seabed material obtained by grab or cone dredge. Examples of geochemical maps of northern Scotland for several elements of environmental significance including Cu, Mo, Pb, and U are considered in relation to geology, topography, vegetation, land use and the chemistry of surface waters. Geochemical maps are shown to provide the best available source of information on chemical variations in bedrock, although there are many difficulties in relating geochemical or biological activity to the total trace element values. In any attempt to correlate trace element levels with disease, careful consideration must be given to factors affecting the availability and flux of the trace elements if meaningful associations are to be obtained. Geochemical maps of the North Sea indicate that the contents of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Hg are uniformly low over most of the offshore area although higher concentrations occur in coastal samples. The highest concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn occur off the Tyne estuary while the highest values for Cd and Hg occur further south.
讨论了由地质科学研究所编制的英国及英国北海区域地球化学图集，并特别提及了它们的环境意义。考虑了影响样本类型选择的因素，并讨论了样本制备、分析程序和监测误差。结果表明，在英国高地由结晶基岩构成的地区，河流沉积物是区域地球化学研究的最佳样本类型，不过在集约化农业地区，土壤可能是最佳的样本介质。大陆架的地球化学测绘基于用抓斗或锥形挖泥船获取的表层海底物质。结合地质、地形、植被、土地利用和地表水化学，考虑了苏格兰北部一些具有环境意义的元素（包括铜、钼、铅和铀）的地球化学图实例。地球化学图被证明是获取基岩化学变化信息的最佳可用来源，尽管将地球化学或生物活性与总微量元素值联系起来存在许多困难。在任何将微量元素水平与疾病关联的尝试中，如果要获得有意义的关联，必须仔细考虑影响微量元素有效性和通量的因素。北海的地球化学图表明，在大部分近海区域，铜、铅、锌、镉和汞的含量普遍较低，尽管沿海样本中的浓度较高。铜、铅和锌的最高浓度出现在泰恩河口附近，而镉和汞的最高值出现在更南部地区。
