Sulfur isotopic signatures in rainwater and moss Haplocladium microphyllum indicating atmospheric sulfur sources in Nanchang City (SE China)

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2011-05, Vol.409 (11), p.2127-2132
• Main Authors: Xiao, Hua-Yun, Zhu, Ren-Guo, Lin, Bi-Na, Liu, Cong-Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Atmosphere - chemistry; Atmospheric pollution; Atmospherics; Bryopsida - chemistry; China; Coal; Coals; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Haplocladium microphyllum; Moss; Mosses; Nanchang; Pollution; Rain - chemistry; Rainwater; Rural; Signatures; Sulfates; Sulfur; Sulfur - analysis; Sulfur Isotopes - analysis; Sulfur source; δ34S
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.02.011

Sulfur source identification previously reported has been based on sulfur isotopic ratios in either rainwater or mosses. The δ 34S values of rainwater sulfate and the epilithic moss Haplocladium microphyllum in Nanchang region (China) were determined for comparisons and used to delineate atmospheric sulfur sources. At the urban and rural sites, similar mean δ 34S values were observed between rainwater sulfate (+ 1.6‰ and − 0.2‰, respectively) and epilithic mosses (+ 1.7‰ and + 0.6‰, respectively), suggesting that mosses acquire δ 34S values similar to those found for rainwater sulfate. This has further demonstrated that moss δ 34S signatures hold valuable source-specific information as rainwater δ 34S values do. The δ 34S values of both rainwater sulfate and epilithic mosses indicated that atmospheric sulfur in Nanchang region was mainly associated with coal combustion. The lower δ 34S values at the rural site can be explained by higher contribution of local coals (lower δ 34S values relative to those of north Chinese coals) and biogenic sulfur. ► Mosses acquire δ 34S values similar to those found for rainwater sulfate. ► Moss δ 34S signatures hold valuable source-specific information. ► Atmospheric S in Nanchang region was mainly associated with coal combustion.