Sulfur isotopic composition of dissolved SO(4)(2-) in waters from the Hongfeng and Aha reservoirs and their inflowing tributaries in the Guizhou Province, southwestern China were investigated. The results show that delta(34)S values of SO(4)(2-) range from -6.07 +/- 0.10 parts per thousand to -7.8 +/- 0.01 parts per thousand, with the average SO(4)(2-) concentration of about 0.65 mM/L in the Hongfeng reservoir water but range from -10.00 +/- 0.08 parts per thousand to -10.53 +/- 0.05 parts per thousand, with the average SO(4)(2-) concentration of about 3 mM/L in the Aha reservoir water. delta(34)s values of SO42- in the river water samples from the inflowing tributaries also show relatively low values (-2.34 +/- 0.01 parts per thousand to -11.88 +/- 0.06 parts per thousand) compared to most of river waters of the world. According to the sulfur isotopic compositions and SO(4)(2-) concentrations in the studied reservoir and river waters, three potential sources of dissolved SO(4)(2-), including coal-mining, acid deposition and oxidation of sulfide were identified. Within these S sources, coal mining is the major source of SO(4)(2-) in surface waters of the studied drainage basins. The estimation for the relative contributions of the potential sources indicate that about 80-90% of the sulfate in the Aha reservoir and its inflowing river water and about 60-70% in the Hongfeng reservoir and its inflowing river water are derived from coal strata via the coal mining activities. Acid rainwater and oxidation of sulfide have only limited contributions.

Publication name	FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN　Volume: 20 　Issue: 11A 　Pages: 2984-2991 　Published: 2011
Author(s)	Wang, Zhong-Liang; Yang, Xi; Bai, Li
Corresponding author	WANG Zhongliang  wangzhongliang@vip.skleg.cn  1. Tianjin Normal Univ, Tianjin Key Lab Water Resources & Environm, Binshuixidao Rd 393,POB 124, Tianjin 300387, Peoples R China    2. Chinese Acad Sci, State Key Lab Environm Geochem, Inst Geochem, Guiyang 550002, Peoples R China

View here for the details from ISI Web of Knowledge