Chlorine-36 as a tracer of perchlorate origin
- University of Illinois, Chicago
- University of Illinois
- U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA
- Shaw Environmental, Inc., Lawrenceville, NJ
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock
- ORNL
Perchlorate (ClO{sub 4}{sup -}) is ubiquitous in the environment. It is produced naturally by atmospheric photochemical reactions, and also is synthesized in large quantities for military, aerospace, and industrial applications. Nitrate-enriched salt deposits of the Atacama Desert (Chile) contain high concentrations of natural ClO{sub 4}{sup -}, and have been exported worldwide since the mid-1800s for use in agriculture. The widespread introduction of synthetic and agricultural ClO{sub 4}{sup -} into the environment has contaminated numerous municipal water supplies. Stable isotope ratio measurements of Cl and O have been applied for discrimination of different ClO{sub 4}{sup -} sources in the environment. This study explores the potential of {sup 36}Cl measurements for further improving the discrimination of ClO{sub 4}{sup -} sources. Groundwater and desert soil samples from the southwestern United States (U.S.) contain ClO{sub 4}{sup -} having high {sup 36}Cl abundances ({sup 36}Cl/Cl = 3100 x 10{sup -15} to 28,800 x 10{sup -15}), compared with those from the Atacama Desert ({sup 36}Cl/Cl = 0.9 x 10{sup -15} to 590 x 10{sup -15}) and synthetic ClO{sub 4}{sup -} reagents and products ({sup 36}Cl/Cl = 0.0 x 10{sup -15} to 40 x 10{sup -15}). In conjunction with stable Cl and O isotope ratios, {sup 36}Cl data provide a clear distinction among three principal ClO{sub 4}{sup -} source types in the environment of the southwestern U.S.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Work for Others (WFO)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 970906
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 43, Issue 18
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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