Stable lead isotope profiles in smelter and general urban communities: a comparison of environmental and blood measures

High-precision lead isotope ratios and lead concentrations have been compared statistically and graphically in women of child-bearing age (n = 77) from two smelter communities and one general urban community to evaluate the relative contributions to blood lead of tissue lead stores and lead from the contemporaneous environment (soil, floor dust, indoor airborne dust, water, food). Blood lead (PbB) contents were generally low (e.g. <10 g dL^–1). Statistically significant isotopic differences in blood and environmental samples were observed between the three cities although isotopic differences in blood for individual subjects living in close proximity (200 m radius) was as large as the differences within a city. No single environmental measure dominated the biological isotope profile and in many cases the low levels of blood lead meant that their isotopic profiles could be easily perturbed by relatively small changes of environmental exposure. Apportioning of sources using lead isotopes is possibly not feasible, nor cost effective, when blood lead levels are <5 g dL^–1. Interpretations based on statistical analyses of city-wide data do not give the same conclusions as when the houses are considered individually. Aggregating data from multiple subjects in a study such as this obscures potentially useful information. Most of the measures employed in this study, and many other similar studies, are markers of only short-to-medium integration of lead exposure. Serial sampling of blood and longer sampling times, especially for household variables, should provide more meaningful information.     

Isotopic modelling of the significance of bacterial sulphate reduction for phenol attenuation in a contaminated aquifer

A Triassic sandstone aquifer polluted with a mixture of phenolic hydrocarbons has been investigated by means of high-resolution groundwater sampling. Samples taken at depth intervals of 1 m have revealed the presence of a diving pollutant plume with a sharply defined upper margin. Concentrations of pollutant phenols exceed 4 g/l in the plume core, rendering it sterile but towards the diluted upper margin evidence for bacterial sulphate reduction (BSR) has been obtained. Groundwaters have been analysed for both delta34S-SO4 and delta18O-SO4. Two reservoirs have been identified with distinct sulphate oxygen isotope ratios. Groundwater sulphate (delta18O-SO4 = 3-5/1000) outside the plume shows a simple linear mixing trend with an isotopically uniform pollutant sulphate reservoir (delta18O-SO4 = 10-12/1000) across the plume margin. The sulphur isotope ratios do not always obey a simple mixing relation, however, at one multilevel borehole, enrichment in 34SO4 at the plume margin is inversely correlated with sulphate concentration. This and the presence of 34S-depleted dissolved sulphide indicate that enrichment in 34SO4 is the result of bacterial sulphate reduction. Delta34S analysis of trace hydrogen sulphide within the plume yielded an isotope enrichment factor (epsilon) of -9.4/1000 for present-day bacterial sulphate reduction. This value agrees with a long-term estimate (-9.9/1000) obtained from a Rayleigh model of the sulphate reduction process. The model was also used to obtain an estimate of the pre-reduction sulphate concentration profile with depth. The difference between this and the present-day profiles then gave a mass balance for sulphate consumption. The organic carbon mineralisation that would account for this sulphate loss is shown to represent only 0.1/1000 of the phenol concentration in this region of the plume. Hence, the contribution of bacterial sulphate reduction to biodegradation has thus far been small. The highest total phenolic concentration (TPC) at which there is sulphur isotope evidence of bacterial sulphate reduction is 2000 mg/l. We suggest that above this concentration, the bactericidal properties of phenol render sulphate-reducing bacteria inactive. Dissolved sulphate trapped in the concentrated plume core will only be utilised by sulphate reducers when toxic phenols in the plume are diluted by dispersion during migration.     

Nitrate in groundwater: an isotopic multi-tracer approach

In spite of increasing efforts to reduce nitrogen inputs into groundwater from intensive agriculture, nitrate (NO3) remains one of the major pollutants of drinking-water resources worldwide. Determining the source(s) of NO3 contamination in groundwater is an important first step for improving groundwater quality by emission control, and it is with this aim that we investigated the viability of an isotopic multi-tracer approach (delta15N, delta11B, 87Sr/86Sr), in addition to conventional hydrogeologic analysis, in two small catchments of the Arguenon watershed (Brittany, France). The main anthropogenic sources (fertilizer, sewage effluent, and hog, cattle and poultry manure) were first characterized by their specific B, N and Sr isotope signatures, and compared to those observed in the ground- and surface waters. Chemical and isotopic evidence shows that both denitrification and mixing within the watershed have the effect of buffering NO3 contamination in the groundwater. Coupled delta11B, delta15N and 87Sr/86Sr results indicate that a large part of the NO3 contamination in the Arguenon watershed originates from the spreading of animal manure, with hog manure being a major contributor. Point sources, such as sewage effluents, contribute to the NO3 budget of the two watersheds.     

厚层包气带土壤水氢氧同位素特征及其补给来源判别

采用环境同位素示踪技术研究了临潼斜口镇土壤水来源与运移机理。在研究区内选取四个土壤剖面分层采集不同土地利用类型的土壤水,测定其稳定同位素δD、δ¹⁸O的值,分析了包气带土壤水稳定同位素沿剖面的变化规律。结果表明：厚层包气带中土壤水在入渗的同时经历了明显的混合作用,在垂向上从上至下可以划分为三个层段;剖面内δD的补给水值处于-75‰~-60‰范围内,介于大气降水和地下水之间,反映了厚层包气带下部土壤水主要来源于地下水的补给,上部主要来源于大气降水与灌溉水的混合补给。     

青海湖流域浅层地下水补给来源及其水位变化

地下水补给来源及水位变化是干旱– 半干旱地区生态和植被的主要制约要素之一,也是 开展流域生态和环境治理技术与试验示范的关键。通过青海湖流域2000 年8 月和2009 年8 月浅 层地下水埋深的调查,以及地下水、河水和雨水氢氧同位素分析,揭示了青海湖流域浅层地下水 埋深的基本状况,明确了大气降水是青海湖流域浅层地下水的主要补给来源,其水位变化受居民 用水量的影响外,主要与降水量、地形密切相关。     

基于稳定同位素示踪的流域颗粒有机物质来源辨析

为有效控制流域水质污染,保证饮用水水源的水质安全,通过采集和测定流域内土壤、植物以及河流断面水体悬浮颗粒有机质(POM)在枯水期和丰水期的碳、氮稳定同位素值和C/N比值,对石头口门水库汇水流域水体POM的来源进行研究.结果表明,水体中POM主要来源于土壤有机质,其贡献为69.2%,藻类等大型水生生物和浮游植物的贡献分别为23.1%和7.7%.流域水体中POM的来源存在时空差异.丰水期,浮游植物和藻类等大型水生植物的贡献均为15.4%,而枯水期后者的贡献提高到了30.8%.水体POM主要来源于双阳河和饮马河下游的土壤有机质,说明该区域土壤侵蚀较重,易发生非点源污染;岔路河和饮马河上游支流小黄河,水体POM以浮游植物的贡献占主导,其贡献分别为86.3%和94.8%,这些区域侵蚀较弱,非点源污染发生的风险小;大中型水库区域的POM主要由藻类等大型水生植物贡献,表明悬浮颗粒物在进入水库后可能发生了明显沉积.     

猫跳河流域梯级水库夏-秋季节溶解无机碳（DIC）含量及其同位素组成的分布特征

于2007年7月(夏季)、10月(秋季)2次对猫跳河流域河流-水库水体样品进行了采集,分析其水化学组成特征,溶解无机碳(DIC)含量及其同位素组成,研究了猫跳河流域河流-水库的碳元素地球化学行为,目的是阐明梯级水库拦截后河流的碳元素含量和碳同位素(δ13CDIC)组成的分布特征.水体DIC及其同位素(1δ3CDIC)组成的总体特征为:DIC含量夏季低于秋季,夏季DIC含量为1.35~2.84 mmol/L,平均值为2.12 mmol/L,秋季DIC含量为2.03~3.98 mmol/L,平均值为2.67 mmol/L;1δ3CDIC值则相反,夏季较秋季偏正,其1δ3CDIC值流域夏季为-10.3‰~-5.1‰,平均值是-8.6‰,秋季为-13.0‰~-6.9‰,平均值为-9.0‰,表明夏季藻类光合作用优先富集12C,水体富集13C.夏季水库的DIC含量随着深度的加深而增大,而δ13CDIC值则随着深度的加深而偏负,表明表层水体受藻类生物作用影响较大,下层水体主要受有机质的降解影响.DIC含量从上游至下游呈逐渐降低的趋势,而δ13CDIC值从上游至下游呈逐渐偏负的趋势,表明河流受水坝拦截后河流水化学性质发生了改...     

基于δ18O的青藏高原中部错那湖湖水蒸发研究

稳定同位素方法经常被用来估算湖水水量平衡,这种方法主要依赖于水样的采集和同位素分析,并结合研究区域相关的气候和水文信息对湖水进行研究。基于对1999-2001年期间获得的18个湖水样的稳定同位素分析,发现错那湖水δD和δ¹⁸O的平均值分别为-83.3‰和-9.6‰,显著高于流域内同期降水中δD和δ¹⁸O的加权平均值-124.5‰和-16.6‰;流域内湖水稳定同位素的变化幅度远小于降水,但展示了明显的季节变化,夏季值较低而冬春季值较高,这种变化表现出一定的降水量效应,表明降水是湖水主要补给来源之一。结合所获得的流域内降水和河水稳定同位素数据,利用稳定同位素质量平衡方法对非结冰期间错那湖水的蒸发与流入比率(E/I)进行了估算,结果表明,受太阳辐射与气温升高的影响,湖水受到强烈的蒸发,流入错那湖的水大约24%消耗于蒸发。     

典型Pb/Zn矿区土壤重金属污染特征与Pb同位素源解析

以我国典型的铅锌矿区——湖南水口山铅锌矿区及其周围地区为研究对象,分析自然土壤(A层和C层)样品中不同重金属(Pb、Zn、Cr、Cu、Cd、Hg)的污染特征和Pb同位素组成.结果表明,受铅锌选矿和冶炼活动的影响,研究区域A层土壤明显受到重金属的污染,尤其是在中心区域(水口山矿区),土壤中Pb、Zn、Cr、Cu、Cd、Hg含量最高达3966.88、 2086.25、 135.31、 185.63、 56.15、 16.434 mg/kg;受原生地质环境的影响,C层土壤重金属含量虽然变化很大,但基本反映土壤背景值.土壤中不同重金属的潜在生态危害大小顺序为Cd>Hg>Pb>Cu>Zn=Cr.中心区域多重金属综合潜在生态危害明显高于周围区域,其34%、 33%、 11%、 22%的采样点分别属于轻微、中等、强和很强生态危害,而周围区域属于轻微、中等、强和很强生态危害的采样点比例分别为68%、 16%、 10%、 6%.与C层Pb同位素相比(²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb为1.168～1.246,²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb为2.014～2.130),由于人为Pb源的污染A层土壤中²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb值(1.166～1.226)低而²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb值(2.043～2.135)高.与铅锌选矿、冶炼废水和烟尘中Pb同位素比值对比表明,A层土壤铅污染主要来自于冶炼厂烟气粉尘的沉降.