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ISOTOPIC APPROACH TO IDENTIFICATION OF SULPHATE ORIGIN IN THE TRIASSIC AQUIFER IN RECHARGE AREA OF THE LAZY BLEDOWSKIE WELL FIELD (SOUTHERN POLAND)
Abstract
The Lazy Bledowskie well field located in the area of the Upper Silesia (southern Poland) abstracts water from the Triassic carbonate aquifer. The aquifer is additionally heavily drained by the Zn-Pb ore mines. Due to a deterioration of groundwater quality, caused mainly by sulphate concentration reaching 317 mg/L, most of the wells have been closed and currently only 2 wells are exploited. Sulphates origin in water has been a concern issue of many researchers. However, there are difficulties in identification of sulphates origin in groundwater influenced by severe anthropogenic transformation and negative impacts of various sources of contamination. In order to determine sulphates origin in groundwater, both chemical and isotopic studies were carried out. Analyses of isotopic composition of sulphates (?34S and ?18O) were conducted for 5 groundwater samples taken from 3 abstraction wells and 2 observation wells, all of them located within the capture zone to the well field. Additional sample represented sewage from a cocking plant. In addition, archival data on isotopic signature of sulphates in the Triassic aquifer in the study area was used to support the interpretation. The analysis of recent and archival results of isotopic study revealed diversity in sulphates origin in the study area depending on the location of the well, its discharge rate as well as the land use type in the recharge area. The main source of sulphates is oxidation of sulphide minerals present in the Triassic carbonate deposits. Another source of sulphates might be gypsum dissolution that occur locally within the Triassic rocks. In some cases, it was found that a significant proportion of sulphates is of anthropogenic origin: natural and artificial fertilisers, municipal and industrial waste water as well as pollution from atmospheric precipitation.
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References10
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