Stable isotopes （S, Cl） and hydrochemical variations in a karstic ground water system, Guiyang, SW China

A groundwater system in a karstic terrain is easily subject to pollution and its remediation is difficult once contaminated by human activities. The groundwater samples collected in both winter and summer seasons at Guiyang, SW China, show a wide range of variations in chemical composition and dominance of Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, SO4^2-, and HCO3^- ions. The anthropogenic inputs include Cl^-, NO3^-, SO4^2-, Na^＋, and K^＋, as judged from the relationships between different elemental ratios and sewage samples. Cl^- concentrations of all water samples in the study area vary from 0 to 3.9 mmol/L in winter and are higher than in summer. In most of the samples, SO4^2- concentrations are high, ranging from 0.1 to 11 mmol/U The studies show that the cycling of sulfur plays an important role in controlling water chemistry and fate of contaminants in groundwater. In order to understand the source of SO4^2- and the geochemical cycling of some elements in the karstic groundwater environment, we have carried out a study on the variations of S and Cl isotope compositions, in addition to other isotopic tracers such as ^87Sr/^86Sr and δ^13C studied previously. The δ^37Cl values of the groundwater samples present a seasonal variation, ranging from 0.00‰ to ＋2.03‰ in winter and from -1.46‰ to ＋0.29‰ in summer. The surface water samples show a similar range of variations as observed for groundwater. Two rainwater samples collected at Guiyang have a distinct isotopic signature （mean value is -3‰） compared to the δ^37Cl values reported in literature. These results indicate that ground water is mainly derived from precipitation and suggest a fast recharge of the karst system by surface water.