The genotoxic effects of DNA lesions induced by artificial UV-radiation and sunlight

Solar radiation sustains and affects all life forms on Earth. The increase in solar UV-radiation at environmental levels, due to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, highlights serious issues of social concern. This becomes still more dramatic in tropical and subtropical regions where radiation-intensity is still higher. Thus, there is the need to evaluate the harmful effects of solar UV-radiation on the DNA molecule as a basis for assessing the risks involved for human health, biological productivity and ecosystems. In order to evaluate the profile of DNA damage induced by this form of radiation and its genotoxic effects, plasmid DNA samples were exposed to artificial-UV lamps and directly to sunlight. The induction of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photoproducts (CPDs) and oxidative DNA damage in these molecules were evaluated by means of specific DNA repair enzymes. On the other hand, the biological effects of such lesions were determined through the analysis of the DNA inactivation rate and mutation frequency, after replication of the damaged pCMUT vector in an Escherichia coli MBL50 strain. The results indicated the induction of a significant number of CPDs after exposure to increasing doses of UVC, UVB, UVA radiation and sunlight. Interestingly, these photoproducts are those lesions that better correlate with plasmid inactivation as well as mutagenesis, and the oxidative DNA damages induced present very low correlation with these effects. The results indicated that DNA photoproducts play the main role in the induction of genotoxic effects by artificial UV-radiation sources and sunlight. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occupational exposure to radon and natural gamma radiation in the La Carolina, a former gold mine in San Luis Province, Argentina

Radon and gamma radiation level measurements were carried out inside the La Carolina mine, one of the oldest gold mining camps of southern South America, which is open for touristic visits nowadays. CR-39 track-etch detectors and thermoluminescent dosimeters of natural CaF(2) and LiF TLD-100 were exposed at 14 points along the mine tunnels in order to estimate the mean (222)Rn concentration and the ambient dose equivalent during the summer season (November 2008 to February 2009). The values for the (222)Rn concentration at each monitoring site ranged from 1.8 +/- 0.1 kBq m(-3) to 6.0 +/- 0.5 kBq m(-3), with a mean value of 4.8 kBq m(-3), indicating that these measurements exceed in about three times the upper action level recommended by ICRP for workplaces. The correlations between radon and gamma radiation levels inside the mine were also investigated. Effective doses due to (222)Rn and gamma rays inside the mine were determined, resulting in negligible values to tourists. Considering the effective dose to the mine tourist guides, values exceeding 20 mSv of internal contribution to the effective doses can be reached, depending on the number of working hours inside the mine. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Footemineite, the Mn-analog of atencioite, from the Foote mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina, USA, and its relationship with other roscherite-group minerals

Footemineite, ideally Ca2Mn2+square Mn22+Be4(PO4)(6)(OH)(4)-6H(2)O, triclinic, is a new member of the roscherite group. It occurs on thin fractures crossing quartz-microcline-spodumene pegmatite at the Foote mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina, U.S.A. Associated minerals are albite, analcime, eosphorite, siderite/rhodochrosite, fairfieldite, fluorapatite, quartz, milarite, and pyrite. Footemineite forms prismatic to bladed generally rough to barrel-shaped crystals up to about 1.5 mm long and I mm in diameter. Its color is yellow, the streak is white, and the luster is vitreous to slightly pearly. Footemineite is transparent and non-fluorescent. Twinning is simple, by reflection, with twin boundaries across the length of the crystals. Cleavage is good on {0 (1) over bar1}) and {100}. Density (calc.) is 2.873 g/cm(3). Footemineite is biaxial (-), n(alpha) = 1.620(2), n(beta) = 1.627(2), n(gamma) = 1.634(2) (white light). 2V(obs) = 80 degrees, 2V(calc) = 89.6 degrees. Orientation: X boolean AND b similar to 12 degrees, Y boolean AND c similar to 15 degrees, Z boolean AND a similar to 15 degrees. Elongation direction is c, dispersion: r > v or r < v, weak. Pleochroism: beta (brownish yellow) > alpha = gamma (yellow). Mossbauer and IR spectra are given. The chemical composition is (EDS mode electron microprobe, Li and Be by ICP-OES, Fe3+:Fe2+ y Mossbauer, H2O by TG data, wt%): Li2O 0.23, BeO 9.54, CaO 9.43, SrO 0.23, BaO 0.24, MgO 0.18, MnO 26.16, FeO 2.77, Fe2O3 0.62, Al2O3 0.14, P2O5 36.58, SiO2 0.42, H2O 13.1, total 99.64. The empirical formula is (Ca1.89Sr0.03Ba0.02)Sigma(1.94)(Mn-0.90(2+)square(0.10))Sigma(1.00)(square 0.78Li0.17Mg0.05) Sigma(1.00)(Mn3.252+Fe0.432+ Fe0.093+Al0.03)Sigma(3.80) Be-4.30(P5.81Si0.08O24)[(OH)3.64(H2O)0.36]Sigma(4.00)center dot 6.00H(2)O . The strongest reflection peaks of the powder diffraction pattern [d, angstrom (1, %) (hkl)] are 9.575 (53) (010), 5.998 (100) (0 (1) over bar1), 4.848 (26) (021), 3.192 (44) (210), 3.003 (14) (0 (2) over bar2), 2.803 (38) ((1) over bar 03), 2.650 (29) ((2) over bar 02), 2.424 (14) (231). Single-crystal unit-cell parameters are a = 6.788(2), b = 9.972(3), c = 10.014(2) A, (x = 73.84(2), beta = 85.34(2), gamma = 87.44(2)degrees,V = 648.74 angstrom(3), Z = 1. The space group is P (1) over bar. Crystal structure was refined to R = 0.0347 with 1273 independent reflections (F > 2(5). Footemineite is dimorphous with roscherite, and isostructural with atencioite. It is identical with the mineral from Foote mine described as ""triclinic roscherite."" The name is for the Foote mine, type locality for this and several other minerals.

THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF A MICROLITE-GROUP MINERAL WITH A FORMULA NEAR NaCaTa(2)O(6)F FROM THE MORRO REDONDO MINE, CORONEL MURTA, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

We present electron-microprobe and single-crystal X-ray-diffraction data for a microlite-group mineral with a formula near NaCaTa(2)O(6)F from the Morro Redondo mine, Coronel Murta, Minas Gerais, Brazil. On the basis of these data, the formula is A(Na(0.88)Ca(0.88)Pb(0.02)square(0.22))(Sigma 2.00) (B)(Ta(1.70)Nb(0.14)Si(0.12)As(0.04))(Sigma 2.00) (X)[(O(5.75)(OH)(0.25)](Sigma 6.00) (Y)(F(0.73)square(0.27))(Sigma 1.00). According to the new nomenclature for the pyrochlore-supergroup minerals, it is intermediate between fluornatromicrolite and "" fluorcalciomicrolite"". The crystal structure, F (d3) over barm, a = 10.4396(12) angstrom, has been refined to an R(1) value of 0.0258 (wR(2) = 0.0715) for 107 reflections (MoK alpha radiation). There is a scarcity of crystal-chemical data for pyrochlore-supergroup minerals in the literature. A compilation of these data is presented here.

Mineralogy and trace-element geochemistry of the high-grade iron ores of the Aguas Claras Mine and comparison with the Capao Xavier and Tamandua iron ore deposits, Quadrilahero Ferrifero, Brazil

Several major iron deposits occur in the Quadrilatero Ferrifero (QF), southeastern region of Brazil, where metamorphosed and heterogeneously deformed banded iron formation (BIF) of the Caue Formation, regionally called itabirite, was transformed into high- (Fe >64%) and lowgrade (30%mineralogical composition, three major types of itabirites occur in the QF: siliceous, dolomitic, and amphibolitic itabirite. Unlike other mines in the QF, the Aguas Claras Mine contained mainly high-grade ores hosted within dolomitic itabirite. Two distinct types of high-grade ore occurred at the mine: soft and hard. The soft ore was the most abundant and represented more than 85% of the total ore mined until it was mined out in 2002. Soft and hard ores consist essentially of hematite, occurring as martite, anhedral to granular/tabular hematite and, locally, specularite. Gangue minerals are rare, consisting of dolomite, sericite, chlorite, and apatite in the hard and soft ores, and Mn-oxides and ferrihydrite in the soft ore where they are concentrated within porous bands. Chemical analyses show that hard and soft ores consist almost entirely of Fe(2)O(3), with a higher amount of detrimental impurities, especially MnO, in the soft ore. Both hard and soft ores are depleted in trace elements. The high-grade ores at the Aguas Claras Mine have at least a dual origin, involving hypogene and supergene processes. The occurrence of the hard, massive high-grade ore within ""fresh"" dolomitic itabirite is evidence of its hypogene origin. Despite the contention about the origin of the dolomitic itabirite (if this rock is a carbonate-rich facies of the Caue Formation or a hematite-carbonate precursor of the soft high-grade ore), mineralogical and geochemical features of the soft high-grade ore indicate that it was formed by leaching of dolomite from the dolomitic itabirite by meteoric water. The comparison of the Aguas Claras, Capao Xavier and Tamandua orebodies shows that the original composition of the itabiritic protore plays a major role in the genesis of high- and low-grade soft ores in the QF. Under the same weathering and structural conditions, the dolomitic itabirite is the more favorable to form high-grade deposits than siliceous itabirite. Field relations at the Aguas Claras and Capao Xavier deposits suggest that it is not possible to form huge soft high-grade supergene deposits from siliceous itabirite, unless another control, such as impermeable barriers, had played an important role. The occurrence in the Tamandua Mine of a large, soft, high-grade orebody formed from siliceous itabirite and closely associated with hypogene hard ore suggests that large, soft, high-grade orebodies of the Quadrilatero Ferrifero, which occur within siliceous itabirite, have a hypogene contribution in their formation.