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Tracing anthropogenic DIC in urban streams based on isotopic and geochemical tracers

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Abstract

To elucidate the type and extent of anthropogenic DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon), carbon isotopic composition of DIC and dissolved ion concentration were determined in three streams (Gap, Yudeung and Daejeon) draining populated Daejeon metropolitan area, South Korea. Seasonal variations in water chemistry and carbon isotopic composition of DIC (δ13CDIC) reflected changing contribution from two main DIC sources, i.e., soil weathering and sewages. DIC input from the soil weathering was characterized by δ13CDIC values ranging from −16.7 to −16.0 ‰ and higher during Jun–Nov. The sewage-derived DIC became dominant during Dec–May with δ13CDIC values ranging from −11.4 to −7.4 ‰. Si and Cl served as indicators of DIC inputs from soil weathering and sewages, respectively. The higher δ13CDIC values of sewages in the study area indicated that detergents (δ13CDIC of −12.0 to −6.5 ‰) carried by the urban sewages were the main anthropogenic DIC component. The extent of anthropogenic DIC relative to soil-derived DIC in stream waters increased when the precipitation was low and discharge decreased. The results of this study provide a method to quantify anthropogenic DIC, which can help manage water quality in urban stream waters.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) as “K-COSEM Research Program”, and a research Grant (T33515) from the Korea Basic Science Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Earth and Environmental Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang, 363-883, Republic of Korea

    Woo-Jin Shin, Kwang-Sik Lee & Dongho Lee

  2. Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Republic of Korea

    Kwang-Sik Lee & Eun-Ji Yu

  3. Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, Republic of Korea

    Youngyun Park

Authors
  1. Woo-Jin Shin
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  2. Kwang-Sik Lee
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  3. Youngyun Park
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  4. Dongho Lee
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  5. Eun-Ji Yu
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Correspondence to Kwang-Sik Lee or Dongho Lee.

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Shin, WJ., Lee, KS., Park, Y. et al. Tracing anthropogenic DIC in urban streams based on isotopic and geochemical tracers. Environ Earth Sci 74, 2707–2717 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4292-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4292-z

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