Chemistry and sulfur isotope investigation of industrial wastewater contamination into groundwater aquifers, Piteaa County, N. Sweden

• Published in: Journal of geochemical exploration Vol. 88; no. 1-3; pp. 64 - 67
• Main Authors: Torssander, Peter, Moerth, Carl-Magnus, Kumpulainen, Risto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2006
• Subjects: Sweden, Piteaa Cty; Sweden
• ISSN: 0375-6742
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gexplo.2005.08.016

The possible contamination of a groundwater system with industrial wastewater originating from a paper mill factory has been investigated in Piteaa, N. Sweden. Six samples were collected from the wastewater in the waste dump and twelve samples from the adjacent groundwater were analyzed for chemistry and sulfur isotopes. The industrial wastewater is a saline water consisting mainly of Na-HCO sub(3)-SO sub(4), having a high pH and showing delta super(34)S values between 7ppt and 9ppt affected by bacterial sulfate reduction. The groundwaters are relatively dilute, dominated by Na super(+), Ca super(2+) and HCO sub(3) super(-), but with varying concentrations as exemplified by sulfate with concentrations varying between 3 and 69 mg L super(- 1) while the delta super(34)S values range from - 0.5ppt to 14.3ppt. The data suggest that the main S sources in the waters are the bedrock sulfides and/or atmospheric deposition, which, sometimes, are overlapped by bacterial sulfate reduction. Contamination from the waste dump does not occur.