Granulites from the Neogene xenolith‐bearing Hannuoba alkaline basalt and from the Manjinggou‐Wayaokou exposed lower crustal section in the Archean Huai 'an terrain, which occurs within and surrounds the Hannuoba basalt, provide a unique opportunity for a comparative study on petrophysical properties and composition of the lower crust represented by these two types of samples. P and S wave velocities and densities of 12 Hannuoba lower crustal xenoliths and one associated spinel Iherzolite xenolith as well as nine granulites and granulite‐facies metasedimentary rocks from the Archean Huai 'an terrain were measured in laboratory at pressures up to 600 MPa and temperatures up to 600°C. Calculations of P and S wave velocities were also made for the same suite of samples based on modal mineralogy and single‐crystal velocities whose variations with composition are considered by using microprobe analyses and velocities of end members. The measured and calculated V p at room temperature and 600 MPa, where the microcrack effect is considered to be almost eliminated, agree within 4% for rocks from the Manjinggou‐Wayaokou section and the adjacent Wutai‐Jining upper crustal to upper lower crustal section. In contrast, the xenoliths show systematically lower measured V p by up to 15% relative to calculated velocities, even if decompression‐induced products of kelyphite and glass are taken into account. The lower measured velocities for xenoliths are attributed to grain boundary alteration and residual porosity. This implies that although granulite xenoliths provide direct information about lower crustal constitution and chemical composition, they are not faithful samples for studying in situ seismic properties of the lower crust in terms of measured velocities due to alterations during their entrainment to the surface, which changes their physical properties significantly. In this respect, granulites from high‐grade terrains are better samples because they are not subjected to significant changes during their slow transport to the surface and because physical properties depend primarily on mineralogy in addition to pressure and temperature. On the other hand, calculated velocities for granulite xenoliths are consistent with velocities for granulites from terrains, suggesting that they can be also used to infer lower crust composition by correlating with results from seismic refraction studies.
Abstract: Minerals of various mantle‐derived xenoliths from the Hannuoba basalt in Hebei Province have been studied by means of IR spectroscopy. The results show that all xenoliths from the mantle at depths <75 km contain trace amounts of water (0.45%–11.6×10 −2 % H 2 O). The data of about 0.1% H 2 O contained in primary pyrolite estimated by earlier studies may be on the high side. The water might enter the frameworks of olivine, pyroxene and garnet earlier than it entered those of amphibole and phlogopite. The presence of water in amphibole and phlogopite may be a local phenomenon of water enrichment, which is related to relatively small‐scale magmatic or metasomatic events although they can contain a hundred times more water than pyroxene contains. There is a little more water (1.11%–3.01×10 −2 % of H 2 O mostly) in xenoliths from the Hannuoba basalt than in those from mid‐ocean ridge basalt and kimberlites of South Africa (less than 1×10 −2 % of H 2 O mostly). This indicates the heterogeneity of water in time and space in the upper mantle. The presence of trace amounts of water in mantle‐derived anhydrous silicate minerals provides basic data for us to understand the distribution of water in the upper mantle and the role of water in the mantle dynamic and geochemical processes.
Paternal exposure to environmental risk factors influences the offspring health. This study aimed to evaluate the association between paternal air pollution exposure mediated by sperm DNA methylation and adverse birth outcomes in offspring. We recruited 1607 fertile men and their partners from 2014 to 2016 and collected semen samples to detect sperm DNA methylation. Multivariate linear regression and weighted quantile sum regression models were used to assess the associations between paternal air pollution exposure and offspring birth outcomes. A critical exposure window was identified. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was used to detect sperm DNA methylation. The results demonstrated that high paternal exposure to PM
Particulate matter (PM) exposure may be associated with male semen quality. Besides, PM exposure induces up and down levels of trace metals in tissues or organs. The levels of trace metals in semen is critical for adverse male semen quality. This study aims to evaluate the concentrations of seminal-level trace metals in fertile men and assess its associations with PM exposure and to explore the mediation role of trace metals in seminal plasma plays in the relationship between PM exposure and semen quality. Total 1225 fertile men who participated in a cohort study from 2014 to 2016 were finally recruited. Multivariate linear regression was applied to explore associations between each two of PM exposure, trace metals and semen parameters. 1-year PM2.5 and PM10 exposure levels were positively associated with arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) but negatively associated with vanadium (V), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba) in semen. It was also found that most of the elements were associated with total sperm number, followed by sperm concentration. Redundancy analysis (RDA) also determined several strong positive correlations or negative correlations between 1-year PM exposure and trace metals. Mediation analysis found that trace metals had a potentially compensatory or synergetic indirect effect on the total effect of the association between 1-year PM exposure and semen quality. The retrospective cohort study provides long-term PM exposure that may cause abnormal semen quality by affecting seminal plasma element levels.