Identification of anthropogenic contaminant sources in urbanized streams using multiple isotopes

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences Vol. 73; no. 12; pp. 8311 - 8324
• Main Authors: Shin, Woo-Jin, Ryu, Jong-Sik, Lee, Kwang-Sik, Park, Youngyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.06.2015; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agrochemicals; Anthropogenic factors; Biogeosciences; calcium; Concentration (composition); Contaminants; Creeks & streams; Dissolution; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science and Engineering; Fertilizers; Fertilizing; Geochemistry; Geology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Ions; Isotopes; Nitrates; Original Article; Sewage; Streams; Strontium; sulfates; summer; Terrestrial Pollution; Urban areas; urbanization; Water; Water analysis; Water sampling; South Korea; Korea, Rep; Multiple isotopes; Sr ratios; Nitrate; Sulfate; Urbanized streams; Sr
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-014-3992-0

Water samples were collected from three streams flowing through the metropolitan city of Daejeon in South Korea to identify controls on the composition of dissolved ions in stream waters. The seasonal and spatial variations in the concentrations of the dissolved ions were examined and the major contaminant sources were identified using multiple isotopes. All streams exhibited gradual increases in Cl, NO₃, and SO₄concentrations as water flowed downstream; the water types were changed from Ca–HCO₃to Ca–(Cl, NO₃, SO₄). Combined δ¹⁵NNO₃and δ¹⁸ONO₃data revealed that the dissolved NO₃was mainly derived from manure or sewage, with partial contributions from NH₄fertilizer in summer. The δ³⁴SSO₄and SO₄concentrations in the stream waters indicated that the dissolved sulfates were derived from contaminants, such as sewage, detergent, and chemical fertilizer supplied discriminately to each stream along its course. The⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios combined with the Sr and Cl concentrations suggest that sewage associated with chemical fertilizer rather than detergent contributed significantly to the dissolved Sr in all the streams.