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The origin of salinity and sulphate contamination of groundwater in the Colima State, Mexico, constrained by stable isotopes

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Abstract

Chemical compositions and stable isotope ratios of water and sulphate were used to characterise sources and processes responsible for elevated concentrations of sulphate and other constituents in groundwater from aquifers at Colima State along Mexico’s Pacific Coast. The δ18O and δ2H values of the groundwater were similar to those of precipitation indicating a meteoric origin, and recharge processes are relatively uniform in large parts of the study area with only slight local evaporation effects. δ34Ssulphate and δ18Osulphate analyses indicated that high sulphate concentrations of up to 1,480 mg/l are mainly due to dissolution of evaporites and volcanic exhalations. Chloride is largely related to sources other than seawater. The Marabasco sub basin is affected by anthropogenic contamination through manganese and iron ore mining activities. The obtained knowledge regarding sources and areas of contamination will be essential for the development and design of a water quality monitoring program in the study area.

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Acknowledgments

The government of Colima state, especially Comisión Estatal de Colima (Oscar Ávalos and Horacio Mancilla) is thanked for facilitating logistics and assistance during the field work. The National Water Commission, Delegación Colima, contributed with relevant information during the project. Finally, the constructive observations of the anonymous reviewer is appreciated. The project was co-funded by CONACyT Fondo Mixto program (contract no. COLIMA-2005-C01-03) and Cátedra del Uso Sustentable del Agua of Tecnológico de Monterrey.

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  1. Axel Horst

    Present address: Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 106 14, Stockholm, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro del Agua para América Latina y el Caribe, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada No. 2501, C.P. 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México

    Axel Horst, Jürgen Mahlknecht & Miguel Angel López-Zavala

  2. Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Bernhard Mayer

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  1. Axel Horst
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  2. Jürgen Mahlknecht
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  3. Miguel Angel López-Zavala
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  4. Bernhard Mayer
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Correspondence to Jürgen Mahlknecht.

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Horst, A., Mahlknecht, J., López-Zavala, M.A. et al. The origin of salinity and sulphate contamination of groundwater in the Colima State, Mexico, constrained by stable isotopes. Environ Earth Sci 64, 1931–1941 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1008-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1008-x

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