Isotope Hydrogeochemistry

The geothermal field of Akropotamos produces fluids at temperatures up to 90oC. The waters from wells AKR-1, AKR-3, AKR-4, AKR-5 and AKR-6 at 30 86oC and TDS of 3.1-30.7 g/l are classified as Na-Cl type. The water from well AKR-2 at 46oC with TDS of 2.15 g/l belongs to Na-HCO3Cl type. The cold and sub-thermal waters (16.4- 27oC) in the area are considered as fresh or low salinity waters (TDS: 0.31-4.34 g/l) of various mixed types. The Na-Cl geothermal waters can be divided into two categories due to two different hot aquifers: (a) Τhe first shallow aquifer contains high salinity waters (TDS: 27.4 30.7 g/l) at 30-48oC located within sands, sandstones and gravels. (b) Τhe second deeper reservoir composed of calcareous conglomerates and sandstones contains lower salinity waters (TDS: 3.1-5.08 g/l) at 83-90οC. The contribution of seawater to the chemical composition of the thermal waters in the shallow aquifer system seems to be important. With the aid of chemical geothermomometers applied to the geothermal water from well AKR-1, the deep temperature has been estimated to be >120oC. Significant quantities of CO2 are encountered in wells AKR-1 and AKR-3.

In 1979, the New South Wales Dams Safety Committee (DSC) was constituted under the Dams Safety Act 1978, to oversee the safety of the State's dams and to prevent significant uncontrolled loss of their storages. The DSC regulates mining within designated notification areas around the dams that supply drinking water for Sydney Australia. This paper examines one mine operating within a notification area of a major water supply dam and analyses the source of water entering the mine, using Tritium isotopes, water chemistry, algae and water balance. A relationship between rainfall, mine water balance and water chemistry is developed.

Chromium (Cr) is a contaminant commonly found in surface and groundwater. In nature Cr commonly occurs in two valences: Cr(VI) is highly mobile, toxic and carcinogenic, while Cr(III) is less mobile. Cr was first detected in groundwater in the Leon Valley region (located in central Mexico) in 1975 (Rodriguez and Armienta, 1995). Previous work proposed an anthropogenic origin for a high concentration plume near the industrial Buenavista (BV), while the larger sub ppb plume located near San Juan de Otates (SJO) is assumed to be caused by weathering of the SJO pyroxenite. Cr stable isotopes have been shown to be useful in monitoring reduction and can also be used to infer redox and transport conditions in natural settings and the goals of our research are: 1) use stable isotope values (δ53Cr) to monitor Cr behavior in the Leon Valley, 2) identify sources (industrial vs. weathering of ultramafic rocks). Since 1975, the highly contaminated BV area is showing a decrease in groundwater Cr(VI) concentrations. Our sampling in 2007 show Cr(VI) concentrations decreasing from 0.005mg/l to 121mg/l to 0.002mg/l to 95.1mg/l. However, the Cr waste piles still exit and Cr(VI) concentrations from leachate collection ponds range from 1.2g/l to 6.8g/l. Isotopic values obtained from leaching experiments performed on the waste pile samples show enriched δ53Cr values (0.76‰ to 3.25‰) either indicating varying reduction or that the waste is fractionated during the ore processing. δ53Cr values for groundwater range from 0.33‰ to 0.46‰, indicating minimal reduction and lack of available reducing agents. The lack of variation of isotopic values seen in the groundwater plume is also consistent with the results of previous studies showing insignificant fractionation due to sorption within the plume (Villalobos-Aragon et al., 2008). The unfractionated Cr(VI) in groundwater vs. those of the waste piles, considered the contamination source, suggests that either 1) the Cr in the waste pile was not fractionated previously, but it is now-result of "weathering", 2) an unknown process is depleting the Cr isotope signature, and/or 3) indicates the presence of other Cr sources. Weathering of ultramafics in the SJO area resulted in Cr(VI) concentrations in surface waters from 0.011mg/l to 0.014mg/l, and a

A new technique for on-line sample preparation and D/H determination is described. The technique is suitable for the preparation of fresh and brine waters, as well as natural gases and organic solvents. A 5-µL sample of water or hydrogen equivalent is injected and reduced by means of hot manganese metal in a specially designed reaction tube surrounded by a tube furnace and attached directly to the mass spectrometer inlet without modification.The hydrogen gas flows directly into the MS to be analyzed by reference/sample comparison. The reproducibility varied between 0.7 and 1.8‰ for all liquid and gas samples. The accuracy of this technique is confirmed by analysis of IAEA standard waters V-SMOW, GISP, and SLAP, as well as NGS-3 (IAEA methane intercomparison material).