Isotopic Tracing of Perchlorate Sources in the Environment

Abstract

Perchlorate (ClO4−) is an emerging persistent pollutant that is ubiquitous in the environment at trace concentrations. Perchlorate ingestion poses a risk to human health because it interferes with thyroidal hormone production. The identification of perchlorate sources in groundwater is a primary concern. Chlorine and multi-oxygen isotopic tracing of perchlorate (δ37Cl, 36Cl/Cl, δ18O, and Δ17O) can provide a unique tool for identifying the origin and transport of perchlorate in groundwater. Along with the kinetic fractionation of chlorine and oxygen isotopes, the Δ17O value, 36Cl/Cl ratio, and ε18O/ε37Cl (the fractionation coefficient of oxygen and chlorine isotopes) are constant, potentially indicating the biodegradation of perchlorate, without disguising its source information. Therefore, comprehensive characterization of stable chlorine and poly-oxygen isotopes is expected to provide direct evidence for identifying the source of perchlorate in groundwater. However, further studies are needed to increase the amount of isotopic data of different perchlorate sources, to make the end-member model available to broader regions. It is critically important to understand the range of values and differences of isotopes among natural perchlorate sources and the perchlorate formation mechanisms.